Yun Yao Achieves Foundation Establishment

The next day.

"Big Brother Lin, that bird last night was terrifying."

Li Erniu looked at the azure sky and spoke with lingering fear, while Lin Chang'an nodded as well and said gravely:

"Er Niu, don't leave the Market lightly for a while. Not only is that Wind-Splitting Eagle powerful, it holds grudges terribly."

Clearly, the scale of this Land Reclamation effort had thrown the monster beasts of the Cloud Mist Mountain Range into disarray. Such things had happened before.

But this was the first time a pack-dwelling Second-tier Monster Beast had launched an attack.

The entire Market was somewhat panic-stricken. Prices for magic artifacts, Talismans, Medicinal Pills, and the like had actually begun to rise.

"Big Brother Lin, I'm not stupid."

Even Li Erniu understood one thing: if flying monster beasts could not break through, Green Bamboo Mountain Market was a turtle shell that could not move.

More importantly, that turtle shell probably could not hold out forever.

"Once the formation maintaining the Market is activated, it will consume a vast amount of Mid-grade Spirit Stones. If the Second-tier Monster Beast Wind-Splitting Eagles cannot be dealt with, the Market's formation will definitely be the first to collapse."

Lin Chang'an shook his head. That was precisely why prices within the Market had risen.

However, the ones who should be having headaches were not minor cultivators like them, but Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion.

Sure enough, on the third night, more than thirty Second-tier Monster Beasts, Wind-Splitting Eagles, arrived as expected and launched another night of attacks.

But this time, Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion joined forces with the other Foundation Establishment cultivators in the Market. When the monster beasts attacked, they opened a gap, then swiftly closed it again.

Three Second-tier Monster Beasts, Wind-Splitting Eagles, were directly slain by the Foundation Establishment cultivators within the Market.

After that, the cultivators in the Market finally breathed a sigh of relief for several days in a row.

Five days later, amid howling cold winds, goose-feather snow drifted down.

[Name: Lin Chang'an]

[Lifespan: 45/106]

[Realm: Qi Refining Fifth Layer (99/100)]

[Cultivation Method: Evergreen Art (Grandmaster: 1899/5000)]

[Skills: Golden Light Talisman (Grandmaster 158/5000), Godly Travel Talisman (Proficient 993/1000), Flying Sword Talisman (Grandmaster 879/5000)]

[Spells: Wood Spirit Thorn [Perfect 195/10000], Fireball Technique (Proficient 921/1000), Breath Concealment Technique (Grandmaster 365/5000), Invisibility Technique (Grandmaster 102/5000), Object Manipulation Technique (Proficient 986/1000)...]

Inside the secret chamber, after the Spirit Stone in his palm dimmed, Lin Chang'an slowly opened his eyes.

"At most another half month, and I'll be able to break through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer."

Casually crushing the depleted Spirit Stone in his palm into powder, Lin Chang'an sighed with emotion.

Who could have imagined that five years ago, he had still been a Qi Refining Third Layer minor cultivator, frustrated and disheartened, preparing to return to the Mortal Realm.

Yet in five years' time, not only had he become a First-Order Mid-grade Talisman Master, his cultivation was also about to break through to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

"Though I can't compare to a genius like Yun Yao, at my current pace, I still have hope of preparing for Foundation Establishment before sixty."

Lin Chang'an's face was full of joy. They said skilled craftsmen never starved in years of famine; the same saying applied to the Cultivation World.

Among the hundred arts of cultivation, anyone who achieved something in any one of them earned far more Spirit Stones than cultivators of the same rank, and their income was more stable as well.

Just as Lin Chang'an blew out the candle and prepared to rest, a shrill scream suddenly rang out from outside in the snowy night.

Countless cultivators were instantly awakened.

"Something happened!"

Lin Chang'an instinctively gripped his magic artifact in his hand, carefully opened the door, and climbed onto the wall.

Yet the moment he reached the top of the wall, a heavy object crashed to the ground in the distance, followed by a tiger's roar.

"Monster beasts are falling from the sky!"

Lin Chang'an's eyes widened. He personally watched a monster beast plummet from the heavens and smash directly into a cultivator's home.

Miserable, terrified cries immediately followed, along with the thunderous roar of spells.

"What's going on!?"

Even though Lin Chang'an had established himself in the Cultivation World for over twenty years, he was dumbfounded at this moment.

This completely surpassed anything he had ever seen.

Since when could monster beasts fall from the sky?

But it was not over yet. In the Market on that snowy night, dull thuds of heavy objects striking the ground rang out one after another. In an instant, the entire Market was brightly lit.

Especially in the shantytown district, where the Rogue Cultivators' cultivation was relatively low, the falling monster beasts were almost all First-Order Late Stage monster beasts.

It was simply a tiger falling into a sheep pen, starting a slaughter at once.

"Beasts!"

Just then, with an enraged roar from within the Market, the defensive barrier over the night sky abruptly activated, while the spells of Foundation Establishment cultivators lit up the heavens.

Only then did countless cultivators clearly see the scene in the sky.

Lin Chang'an's eyes widened even further. "That pack of Wind-Splitting Eagles again!"

Damn it, this was truly an eye-opener.

More than thirty Wind-Splitting Eagles circled through the snowy night sky, several of them clutching living monster beasts in their talons.

The monster beasts falling from the sky were clearly the work of these Second-tier Monster Beast Wind-Splitting Eagles.

This alone was enough to reveal the intelligence of monster beasts.

"I heard the leader of this pack of Wind-Splitting Eagles is already a Second-Order Late Stage monster beast. We'd better hide for now."

Lin Chang'an shrank his neck as he watched the chaos in the Market and the cultivators hunting monster beasts.

He was a noble Talisman Master. His monthly income was worth that of ten ordinary cultivators.

How many Spirit Stones could one monster beast be worth? Why risk his life for it?

The next day, the entire Market grew lively.

"Last night was truly terrifying. I heard a Second-tier Foundation Establishment monster beast even fell into the eastern district. If not for the Foundation Establishment cultivators of Mystic Sound Pavilion acting, who knew how many people would have died?"

"This is far too chaotic, isn't it?"

"What do you know? The low-level cultivators throughout the Market are naturally panic-stricken now, but every Qi Refining Late Stage cultivator has red eyes. There's no need to risk searching for them at all. As long as they are lucky enough to join forces and kill one, they can obtain a Monster Core..."

"Damn it, which family of cultivators provoked those beasts again? They're taking revenge so crazily."

In the distance, Lin Chang'an and Li Erniu hurried toward Gathering Immortal Pavilion. Er Niu's face was filled with worry.

"Big Brother Lin, things have been too dangerous lately. When will this end?"

Lin Chang'an sighed helplessly upon hearing that.

"Er Niu, we should both be careful lately. Don't leave the Market unless necessary. Cultivator Bandits have been active outside recently."

Cultivator Bandits killed for treasures. Some were professional Cultivator Bandits, while others were driven by greed and temporarily decided to play the part.

With even the slightest unrest, perhaps even the neighbor next door would be overcome by greed and set their sights on your Spirit Stones.

Though these incidents had seemed like only minor disturbances, they had all been suppressed by the cultivators of the Two Major Sects, Li Fire Palace and Mystic Sound Pavilion, within the Market.

Otherwise, everything would have descended into chaos long ago.

The reason the two had come to Gathering Immortal Pavilion this time was entirely because Junior Sister Lu Qingqing had sent someone to inform them that there was news of Little Princess Yun Yao.

That was why the two had come together to Gathering Immortal Pavilion.

"What! Little Prin... Senior Yun has already achieved Foundation Establishment!?"

Upon arriving at a private room in Gathering Immortal Pavilion, the two had barely sat down before hearing this news. Li Erniu was so shocked that he cried out.

"Big Brother Li, I only learned about it last night as well."

Lu Qingqing wore an innocent expression as she explained:

"We don't know when Sister Yun returned either. Last night, disciples of Li Fire Palace sent a letter informing us that Sister Yun had successfully achieved Foundation Establishment within the Sect two days ago. She'll return to the Market after some time."

Not only Er Niu, even Little Marquis Shen Lie wore a shocked expression after learning this.

Amid his shock, Lin Chang'an also understood somewhat why Little Princess Yun Yao had been so cautious.

Foundation Establishment was a matter of immense importance. If even the slightest information leaked out, who knew what unforeseen changes might arise in the middle of it all?

Not to mention cultivators outside the Sect—there were probably people within the Sect watching her as well.

Who could have imagined that this Little Princess would suddenly return to the Sect and directly enter seclusion to make her breakthrough?

She acted decisively, without the slightest drag or hesitation.