A Foundation Establishment Strike

Four layers of Golden Shield Talisman barriers and one cyan barrier from the Exquisite Tower surrounded him. Flames also flickered over his body, the Escape Technique Talisman taking effect.

To escape with his life, Yang Tianyou had unleashed his potential in an instant. Only two breaths had passed by the time he finished.

Just then, the Foundation Establishment Cultivator's furious sword strike came slashing down.

Rip!

It met no resistance, like a sharp knife slicing through sheets of white paper.

The flying sword cleaved through the barriers one after another. Soon, the power of all four Golden Shield Talismans was exhausted, and they crumbled into dust that drifted away.

But the Golden Shield Talismans had done their job, draining nearly thirty percent of the flying sword's power.

The remaining seventy percent struck the Exquisite Tower in full.

Clang!

The clash of metal shook his eardrums. After briefly holding out, the Exquisite Treasure Pagoda was sent flying, a deep, glaring sword scar etched into its body.

With no time to retrieve the Exquisite Tower, Yang Tianyou hurriedly activated the Spirit-Shattering Instruction.

Hum!

Golden Spirit Marks emerged across his body, not sparing even his face. Layer upon layer, they seemed to clothe Yang Tianyou in golden armor, giving him a solid, indestructible appearance.

The Spirit-Shattering Instruction Yang Tianyou cultivated was a cultivation method for cultivating both magic and the body. Besides producing sharp, tough spiritual power, it could also forge a formidable physique called the Spirit-Shattering Golden Body, which possessed powerful defenses.

The Spirit Marks now covering him were the sign of the Spirit-Shattering Golden Body being driven to its limit.

Clang!

The flying sword, now exceedingly dim, struck Yang Tianyou directly. As it collided with the Spirit Marks covering his body, it actually made a sound like metal striking stone.

Bang!

In the end, the strike failed to kill Yang Tianyou. Instead, he used the force behind the sword to increase his escape speed.

In just a few breaths, Yang Tianyou reached the place he had come from. Because he had been discovered so quickly, the entrance the Formation had been corroded to create had not yet been fully repaired.

Overjoyed, Yang Tianyou hurriedly used the remaining half of the Array-Eroding Talisman. Moments later, the opening appeared again, and he quickly slipped through.

About three breaths later, a middle-aged man in yellow Daoist robes flew over. He stared angrily at the opening before him as it gradually vanished.

"An Array-Eroding Talisman. Someone from the Yang Household?"

The middle-aged man, Zhao Tingshen, quickly recognized the distinctive trace.

He took out a token and issued a command. An opening appeared in the Formation, and the middle-aged man hurriedly flew through it.

He looked around. The green fields and forests teemed with life, but Yang Tianyou was nowhere to be seen. Not even a trace of his presence remained.

Unwilling to give up, the middle-aged man unleashed his spiritual sense, sweeping heaven and earth as he searched frantically within a two-li radius. It was still no use. That hateful little thief had long since vanished without a trace.

After venting for a while, the middle-aged man returned to the Formation, his expression shifting between dark and uncertain.

"Eighth Uncle, how did it go? Did you kill him?"

A young man flew over on a flying sword and asked, his expression grave.

"No. That little thief must have a large number of Escape Technique Talismans. Who knows where he's fled by now!"

The middle-aged man spoke through gritted teeth.

"What should we do, then? We'll need at least another three days to open the restriction inside this Dragon Valley Sect palace. That's enough time for far too much to change!"

The young man looked anxious, grinding his teeth in hatred for Yang Tianyou. That damned little thief ruined the Zhao Household's plans.

"Forget it. Since things have come to this, let's ask Grandfather and see what he has to say!"

The middle-aged man sighed and took a Copper Mirror from his Storage Bag.

After forming a sequence of hand seals, he sent ripples across the Copper Mirror's surface. Soon, an elderly figure appeared before the two of them.

"Tingshen, what happened?"

The voice of Zhao Leicong, the Zhao Household Ancestor, came from the mirror, aged but still overbearing. It seemed to possess a magical power: Zhao Tingshen and his nephew Zhao Yunxiao, whose thoughts had been in turmoil, soon calmed down.

"Your grandson is at fault. Just now..."

Zhao Tingshen lowered his head slightly and told Zhao Leicong everything that had happened, leaving out no detail.

After hearing the whole account, Zhao Leicong said nothing. Yet his barely restrained anger came clearly through the Copper Mirror, leaving Zhao Tingshen and his nephew drenched in cold sweat.

After a while, Zhao Leicong asked coldly, "From what you've said, this man should be at the ninth layer of Qi Refining, or even the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. Otherwise, he couldn't have withstood a strike from you! As for the Array-Eroding Talisman, are you sure you weren't mistaken?"

"No. Your grandson is certain those were traces left by an Array-Eroding Talisman. As for whether he was from the Yang Household, I can't be sure. After all, although not many of the Yang Household's Array-Eroding Talismans have made their way out, there are still some."

Zhao Tingshen answered respectfully.

"In that case..."

Zhao Leicong pondered for a moment, then instructed, "First, we must guard against the possibility that this man is a Three Rivers Sect cultivator, or a Rogue Cultivator planning to use this information to claim credit with the Three Rivers Sect.

"Immediately send word to the Lineage disciples at Yellowstone Market and have them post people outside the Three Rivers Pavilion. If they notice any unusual movements from the Three Rivers Sect's Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they are to report directly to the Three Rivers Sect that our Zhao Household has discovered an inheritance cave abode left by the Dragon Valley Sect. That way, although we won't get the lion's share, we can still obtain a portion of the proceeds."

"Second, if this man is neither a Three Rivers Sect cultivator nor a Rogue Cultivator, there's a ninety percent chance he's from another Foundation Establishment Lineage. That would be best. Although another Foundation Establishment Lineage would be involved, our Zhao Household could still claim more than half the proceeds.

"Also, I'll immediately send Zong Kun to help you, riding the Gold-Piercing Falcon. The falcon is extremely fast. If it flies at full speed, it should reach you in about half a day."

"As for now, hurry and break the restriction inside the Dragon Valley Sect palace. If you can break it before anyone else arrives, our Zhao Household can have the inheritance cave abode all to itself."

As expected of an old fox who had lived for over a hundred years, Zhao Leicong showed no panic at all. Instead, he sorted out his thoughts and laid out a variety of measures in an extremely short time.

No matter how the situation changed, the Zhao Household would be able to tear off a piece of meat at the very least.

Zhao Tingshen marveled inwardly at his grandfather's shrewd methods. Then, in front of him, he took out a Second-Rank Communication Talisman and infused it with spiritual power. The talisman turned into a streak of white light and flew toward Yellowstone Market.

After doing so, he bowed slightly and said, "Does Grandfather have any other instructions?"

"No. Although you made a mistake this time, be careful in all things. Whatever happens, put your own preservation first. When all is said and done, cultivators themselves are the foundation of a Lineage!"

Zhao Leicong spoke warmly, his tone carrying unmistakable concern for his grandson.

His heart warmed, Zhao Tingshen thanked him. "Your grandson understands. I've disappointed you this time, Grandfather. Thank you for your concern!"

After saying this, Zhao Leicong's figure gradually vanished, and the Copper Mirror's light dimmed.

Zhao Tingshen put away the Copper Mirror. After he and his nephew repaired the Formation, they returned to the Dragon Valley Sect palace and worked faster to break the restriction.

Meanwhile, on the Zhao Household's Spirit Mountain in Border River Town.

Zhao Leicong sat cross-legged in his cave abode. Though his hair was graying, his presence was like that of a tiger king in the mountains, extraordinarily imposing.