Cultivation starts from devouring the Dao fruits

"Today, all of you shall die!"

A cold gleam flashed through Su Bingyun's beautiful eyes as she directly unleashed the Fire Crow Mirror. Flames and spiritual patterns flickered into existence on the mirror, and a three-foot long Fire Crow burst forth, lunging towards the elder from the Thunder Wolf Gang.

"Foundation Establishment!! She has actually advanced to Foundation Establishment!!"

A chilling sense of dread rose in the heart of the elder from the Thunder Wolf Gang, as he frantically stimulated his mana, summoning a top-grade magical artifact, a green umbrella.

The green umbrella radiated faint green spiritual light, transforming into a giant, towering green wood phantom that blocked the advance of the Fire Crow.

The Fire Crow directly pounced at the green wood phantom, rapidly igniting the colossal illusion.

"Foundation Establishment!! She is a Foundation Establishment expert!!"

"Damn it! Damn it!"

"....."

Seeing this scene, the gang members of the Thunder Wolf Gang furiously activated their talismans, unleashing the Golden Light Talisman, Featherweight Talisman, Armor Horse Talisman, Rocket Talisman, and other talismans. While fleeing, they harnessed the power of these talismans to cast various spells, attacking Su Bingyun.

Su Bingyun straightaway summoned a superior magical instrument-grade green Spiritual Shield. The green shield shimmered, forming a green protective barrier that deflected all the spells cast by the Thunder Wolf Gang members.

If it were before her advancement to Foundation Establishment, all the members of the Thunder Wolf Gang united might have stood a chance against Su Bingyun. But after her ascension, even all the gang members combined were no match for her.

The illusion of the towering green wood lasted only a breath before collapsing and dissipating; the Fire Crow dived straight towards the elder's head from the Thunder Wolf Gang, setting it aflame instantly.

The remaining members of the Thunder Wolf Gang fled frantically in all directions.

"Just accept your deaths obediently!"

Zhao Yu executed the Flying Dagger Technique, with the mid-grade magical instrument Flying Harpoon in his hand glowing faintly as he pierced through the chest of a Sixth Level Qi Refining Cultivator from the Thunder Wolf Gang.

Under Su Bingyun's control, the Fire Crow moved with ghostly speed, effortlessly igniting the heads of the three remaining late-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Thunder Wolf Gang.

Zhao Yu continued to use the Flying Dagger Technique, transforming his magic artifact into flying daggers that pierced through the remaining mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators from the Thunder Wolf Gang.

Before long, all the cultivators at the Thunder Wolf Gang headquarters had been killed by Su Bingyun and Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu reflected internally, "Foundation Establishment cultivators are indeed powerful. Even the cultivators at the Great Circle of Qi Refining level can only slightly contend with them, and are no match for them at all. My current strength is far from comparable to that of Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators.

If the elder had used that umbrella-shaped top-grade magical artifact, I wouldn't have been his opponent either."

After wiping out the Thunder Wolf Gang, Zhao Yu and Su Bingyun continued on to swiftly annihilate the Mighty Tiger, Twin Swords, and Flying Bear factions. Against Su Bingyun, a Foundation Establishment expert, these factions simply fell to pieces. Their leadership was wiped out, with only the lowliest of their members managing to escape with their lives.

At the Cangling Sect Law Enforcement Team's station.

Su Bingyun handed over twenty-some storage bags to Zhao Yu, "These are for you!"

Zhao Yu opened those twenty-some storage bags, and his eyes lit up.

Within those storage bags were one hundred and thirty-two mid-grade Spirit Stones, two thousand one hundred and fifty-six low-grade Spirit Stones, a vast amount of Spirit Grass and Spiritual Medicine, a first order superior Pill Furnace, a superior-grade Talisman Brush of the First Order, dozens of Secret Manuals, and one Second-Order Low-grade Demon Beast Inner Pill, as well as several jade slips.

Among those Spirit Grasses and Medicines were materials sufficient to refine more than twenty Lifespan Extension Pills. The Secret Manuals contained over a dozen basic cultivation techniques including the Earth Elemental Skill and the Water Element Technique, with complete cultivation methods from the Early Qi Refining Stage to the late Foundation Establishment Stage.

The Second-Order Low-grade Demon Beast Inner Pill was the chief ingredient for refining Foundation Establishment Pills.

The several jade slips consisted of a complete set of superior First Order Talisman Path inheritance, a Second-Order superior set of Alchemy Dao inheritance, a superior First Order Formation Path inheritance, and a set of superior First Order Artifact Path inheritance.

The items in those twenty-some storage bags were part of the supplies looted by the four big factions after they raided the black mountain market.

A glint of anticipation flashed through Su Bingyun's eyes as she said, "Those magic artifacts, talismans, and medicinal pills must all be taken back to the sect to support the frontline war effort. I can't leave them for you! I will also stay here for another month to build a trading caravan."

"If you plan to stay here, I can appoint you as the manager of the black mountain market and hand over all the powers of the market to you."

"If you plan to join the Cangling Sect, I can recommend you to our sect and let you become an inner sect disciple of the Cangling Sect."

"Of course, you can also choose to leave with me and go somewhere else to cultivate."

Zhao Yu said, "I want to follow you and leave this place, avoiding the chaos of war, and go somewhere else to cultivate."

The grand battle of the Five Great Golden Core Sects would surely be extremely brutal, and even those at the Foundation Establishment Rank could fall. Su Bingyun, as a disciple of the Cangling Sect, greatly indebted to it, must return and fight. Zhao Yu only wished to avoid war and continue his cultivation.

Su Bingyun was slightly disappointed as she spoke, "The North Desolate has already plunged into full-scale war; those more prosperous areas will become the focal points of contention among the various forces. If you wish to avoid the war, you can only go to cultivate in some remote areas, where resources are scarce."

Zhao Yu's eyes lit up as he asked, "Where are those places?"

Su Bingyun then told Zhao Yu about a few remote places.

In the following days, Su Bingyun began to put together a trading caravan and also recruited loose cultivators willing to partake in the war of the Five Sects.

In the Black Mountain Market, many loose cultivators either chose to pay a substantial sum to join the trading caravan or decided to join Su Bingyun's forces, intending to participate in the grand battle of the Five Sects.

The four major sects ruling the North Desolate generally do not recruit Qi Refinement Realm loose cultivators, it's only during a major sect war that they do. In that cruel conflict, a loose cultivator who establishes enough merit also has the chance to be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill and advance to Foundation Establishment.

"If I go to a place with scarce resources, I need a craft that earns spirit stones. The urgent matter at hand is to improve my Alchemy!"

"The Yellow Spirit Pill is the best-selling medicinal pill, and its materials are relatively easy to find, perfect for enhancing my Alchemy."

Over the next three days, Zhao Yu consumed thirty-six Yellow Spirit Pills, using the power of the Dao Fruit of Devouring to raise his Alchemy for Yellow Spirit Pills to an expert level.

"Alchemy Cultivation Level: Zero Order (60/100)."

"Alchemy—Yellow Spirit Pill: Expert (0/800)."

After Zhao Yu raised his Alchemy for Yellow Spirit Pills to the expert level, the success rate for refining Yellow Spirit Pills increased to one hundred percent, and each batch of pills yielded between ten to eleven pills.

Zhao Yu continued to refine Yellow Spirit Pills while swallowing those he refined himself as well as those won as spoils of war, turning them into proficiency.

Seven days later, Zhao Yu's Alchemy finally advanced to the master level.

"Alchemy Cultivation Level: Low-grade First Order (0/100)."

"Alchemy—Yellow Spirit Pill: Master (0/1600)."

"Alchemy—Qi and Blood Pill: Expert (0/400)."

A flash of surprise crossed Zhao Yu's eyes: "After my Alchemy Cultivation advanced, my refining level for the insignificant Qi and Blood Pill unexpectedly soared to expert level. What a pleasant surprise! This means that I might also have reached the expert level in refining other miscellaneous pills."

Zhao Yu consumed Fasting Pills, Hemostasis Pills, and other ungraded miscellaneous pills in succession, finding that his refining level for these pills had indeed reached the expert level. As long as he had the materials, he could easily refine various miscellaneous pills.