Chapter 292

Chapter 292: A Foundation Establishment Battle

"What has been the situation at the Yao Yuan Pavilion during my absence?"

Just as Wang Lang was letting his thoughts drift, Zhou Luo’s voice sounded once more.

Wang Lang reported the matters respectfully and in detail.

The Immortal City hadn’t seen much change over these past three years, but the conflict between the Lin and Luo families seemed to have entered its final stage.

Although the Wang Family had dispatched troops continuously to reinforce over these three years, the Lin Family’s situation was already beyond salvage. Currently, allied with the Zhang Family, they had Maple Leaf City encircled.

This was precisely the reason for the apprehension in his heart.

Because he couldn’t guarantee whether the children Zhou Luo mentioned would truly remain untouched by the Lin Family’s destruction. If they were affected, their Yao Yuan Pavilion would lose its greatest backer.

But there was no need to worry about any of that now.

Because Zhou Luo had successfully established his Foundation.

He was now the Yao Yuan Pavilion’s greatest backer.

Hearing this news, Zhou Luo’s heart sank.

It seemed the situation had reached a truly dangerous point.

However, the message talisman he’d left in Zhou Garden hadn’t been shattered; likely, there shouldn’t be significant issues.

After this breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, returning home, he could properly plan and take control of the Lin Family.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Wang Lang presented the ledgers from the past three years and also handed over the accumulated spiritual food earnings.

Zhou Luo, now at the Foundation Establishment realm, didn’t need to flip through the ledger page by page. Simply settling his mental strength upon it allowed him to absorb all the information instantly.

According to the ledger’s information, the entire shop had earned over three thousand spiritual stones in the past three years, equivalent to roughly one thousand spiritual stones in revenue per year.

This was despite the fact that neither Zhou Luo nor Yao Wu could supply potions or Gu insects during this period.

The Yao Yuan Pavilion’s business boom had far exceeded Zhou Luo’s expectations.

Of course, Wang Lang’s assistance had been indispensable to this success.

After deducting two-tenths for Wang Lang, Zhou Luo was left with over two thousand five hundred spiritual stones for himself, which he stored entirely within his ring of storing.

"You’ve done very well. When I open other shops in the future, you will need to apply yourself here diligently as well." Zhou Luo nodded in satisfaction, his words revealing his plans to expand his business.

Now that he had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he would inevitably gain control of the Lin Family later; he was certain to make significant waves in the Immortal City then.

Wang Lang felt a surge of joy within his heart.

It seemed this place truly was his Immortal Opportunity.

His expression became serious. "You can rest assured, Shopkeeper. In the future, I will absolutely not fail to live up to your expectations."

"Hmm. Go attend to your duties. I still need to return to the Lin Family briefly."

After this short conversation, Zhou Luo stood up to leave.

Wang Lang respectfully saw him out of the Yao Yuan Pavilion. Watching the other man disappear into the crowd, and reflecting on having formed a connection with a Foundation Establishment strong person, Wang Lang felt immensely exhilarated within himself.

It seems I, Wang Lang, have truly encountered the Immortal Opportunity meant for me.

His gaze burned intensely as he inwardly swore to grasp this hard-won chance.

…………

After leaving Yao Yuan Pavilion, Zhou Luo went to take a look at his house in the Immortal City.

Over the three years, this place remained completely unchanged, though it seemed new neighbors had moved in next door.

After a brief stroll through the area, he departed the Immortal City and hastened toward Maple Leaf City.

Mounted on his spiritual steed, Zhou Luo traversed the wilderness forests and mountains as if on level ground.

During the journey, he occasionally encountered restless evil cultivators and bandits, yet upon sensing even a trace of his Foundation Establishment pressure, they each scattered in panic, fearing to provoke someone of his stature.

One clear advantage of reaching Foundation Establishment was no longer having to endure a swarm of “flies” buzzing around him.

Within a day and a half, he had already entered the territory of Maple Leaf City.

From afar, he observed that the city’s outskirts were densely encircled by numerous cultivators.

High above, two figures clashed mid-air, capturing the crowd’s undivided attention.

Their overwhelming pressure radiated intensely, palpable even from a distance of a hundred li away.

Foundation Establishment strong persons?

Zhou Luo narrowed his eyes, clearly discerning the identities of the combatants.

One was an elder draped in gray robes; the Lin Family Ancestor, judging by his chest insignia.

As for the Lu Family’s side, their Foundation Establishment strong person appeared notably younger, seemingly having only just established his Foundation, placing him at a slight disadvantage in the battle.

Despite this, his rising battle spirit remained unmistakable—visibly confident and apparently using the fight as his proving ground.

The emergence of a second Foundation Establishment cultivator within the Lu Family struck Zhou Luo as surprising.

Now he understood why even the intervention by the Wang Family hadn’t reversed the tide of the conflict.

Glancing at the masses of Qi Refinement cultivators below, he reasoned that every minor sect and faction had deduced that the Lu Family would emerge victorious, hastening to align themselves in submission.

He strode through the encampment with calm indifference.

A scout at the outskirts caught sight of him and barked, "Unauthorized personnel! Keep out!"

"Annoying noise."

Zhou Luo uttered flatly, his sudden surge of pressure violently hurling the scout backward. The man spat out a mouthful of vital essence blood before crashing heavily onto the ground.

Thus, calm and untroubled, Zhou Luo merged into the dense gathering of cultivators.

Whether due to his controlled aura that revealed little or the chaotic mix of fighters within the camp,

not a single soul appeared to notice his presence.

He pressed deeper toward the battle’s core, his gaze fixed on the city’s glowing defensive grand formation above.

Overhead, the duel continued relentlessly, the Lin Family Ancestor holding a slight upper hand.

The Lu Family’s newly advanced Foundation Establishment cultivator, however, thrived on his vigorous life force; while his magic power fell short of his opponent’s, his rising battle spirit burned fiercely.

Compared to the others, Foundation Establishment cultivator Zhou Luo perceived far more distinct details.

This marked his first witness of battle among practitioners at the Foundation Establishment tier.

Unlike Qi Refinement stage cultivators, fighters at this level wielded magic power—a force considerably superior to spiritual energy. Their profound magic reserves brought transformative might.

Moreover, Foundation Establishment cultivators possessed far deeper insights into the Dao compared to Qi Refinement counterparts, enabling their released skills to unleash terrifying force.

Using the same Supreme Qi Refinement cultivation art, the Foundation Establishment cultivator could crush his opponent single-handedly.

Beyond cultivation arts, a Foundation Establishment strong person displayed far greater mastery over magical artifacts.

They could virtually achieve a state of mental unity with the magical sword in their grasp, unleashing power far exceeding that of any Qi Refinement cultivator.

High above, the newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator of the Lu Family wore a face of utter confidence. Though he might fall short in the clash of magic power, not a trace of fear touched him.

He held the trump card entrusted to him by his Ancestor, alongside top-grade magical artifacts, cultivation techniques, talismans, and more.

Even if his opponent poured forth every ounce of his strength, he still possessed the ability to flee unscathed.

After all, a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment level was no easy prey to kill.

Moreover, his adversary surely wouldn’t dare to commit fully to the fight.

The battle between them raged on for a full hour.

Throughout, Zhou Luo simply watched in silence, studying their attack styles and combat habits.

Whether he was to take control of the Lin Family in the future, or to lead a campaign against the Lu Family, encounters and clashes with cultivators like this were inevitable. Understanding their offensive capabilities in advance would allow him to strike more effectively when the time came.

Soon, it became apparent the Lu Family Foundation Establishment cultivator was flagging, his energy waning.

"Old Lin, I’m done playing with you!" the man shouted, abruptly breaking off the fight and descending to the ground.

He was certain his opponent wouldn’t dare pursue him, for during the duel, he had sensed the old man’s deep-seated hesitation.

This Lin Family Ancestor indeed harbored apprehension.

Although only one Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Lu Family had openly appeared at the gates of Maple Leaf City, who could say whether the Lu and Zhang Families had other cards to play?

Might their Foundation Establishment experts be observing him from the shadows at this very moment?

If he were severely wounded, the Lin Family would truly forfeit any chance of recovery.

Therefore, whether in the heat of combat or in this moment of disengagement, the Lin Family Ancestor had consistently held back, never unleashing his full power.

This was precisely why the newly promoted Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Lu Family had managed to hold his ground, battling back and forth against him.

With the battle concluded, Zhou Luo’s eyes gleamed faintly.

Based on the prowess they had just demonstrated, coupled with his own deep comprehension of cultivation arts and mastery over magical artifacts, he was confident he could handle either one of them.

Now, however, was not yet the moment for him to act. Swiftly, currents of gentle wind swirled around him. He tapped a foot lightly against the air and flew towards Maple Leaf City.

The other observers nearby felt nothing more than a soft breeze brush past them; a fleeting blur was all their eyes could perceive.

Thanks to the family token he possessed, Zhou Luo passed effortlessly through the city’s formidable defensive grand formation.