Yet in the next moment, an even more astonishing event unfolded before him.

Three extremely beautiful girls, with some non-human features, and attire completely different from the local style, appeared on the spot.

The silver-haired girl immediately pulled out a magical treasure that looked like a musket: "*Kazdail's curse*, can we finally make a move here?"

The fox-eared girl appeared a bit weary but still curiously looked around, wagging her tail: "So realistic..."

The wolf-eared girl, however, silently drew her sword and stood by Lin Guang's side without hesitation.

Then, all three girls collectively fixed their gaze on the white-robed elder.

"..."

Seeing this formation, the white-robed elder quickly calmed down, faintly revealing a look of appeasement: "These fellow Daoists..."

Lin Guang's effortless tearing apart of the array startled him greatly, and he couldn't help but reveal this expression given the formidable aura of the girls before him.

Of course, he couldn't know that, if he really had to tear apart that array by force, Lin Guang wouldn't find it so easy.

It was only due to the True Understanding of Needle Dao and the Refining Heaven Array Dao inheritance he received earlier that he was able to accomplish this task with ease.

Lin Guang glanced at him, white fluorescent light flickering in his eyes: "You're the Blood Refinement Old Ghost, aren't you."

"You were pursued by Righteous Cultivators, barely managed to counter-kill him, but got trapped and needed someone to break the stalemate for you, am I right?"

The white-robed elder's eyes flickered with a tremor: "Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding, this fellow Daoist must be a great sect's prodigy, I..."

But seeing his prevarication and guilty look, the truth was already self-evident.

The voice of the young man rang out, accompanied by a sentiment of lingering fear.

[So he really is the Blood Refinement Old Ghost...]

[Why does a Golden Core Stage cultivator of the demonic path want to deceive me? What is his goal?]

[Even if I truly save him, will he help me eradicate the sand bandits and save the village...]

Lin Guang ignored him and clasped his hands together.

In an instant, tiny points of Ether began to gather from all around, pouring into his palms.

Meanwhile, a faint white light started to glow on Lisa's body.

Within a few minutes, Lin Guang's Spiritual Power was nearly exhausted, but Lisa's Ether had only recovered about 20%.

Lin Guang sat cross-legged on the spot, took a couple of bites of the remaining rations from the first round, and began meditating to restore his Spiritual Power, right in front of the white-robed elder.

The white-robed elder, under Chelina and Vishdair's dangerous gaze, could only watch in silence, too angry to speak.

......

Five hours later.

Lin Guang opened his eyes, divine light gleaming within them.

The fatigue from the first six rounds had been completely wiped away.

And beside him, Lisa, who hadn't recovered since the beginning of the first trial, finally restored more than 50% of her Ether.

Unfortunately, this was the maximum amount of time they could afford...

The next two rounds probably wouldn't be so fortunate.

"Fellow Daoist..."

The white-robed elder was about to speak.

Lin Guang abruptly interrupted him: "When you were escaping, did you happen to know where the sand bandits' stronghold is around here?"

"Eh?"

The white-robed elder was slightly stunned, revealing a joyful expression—having a request was good, it meant that this little monster from who knows where still needed him to some extent.

Even though he had no recollection whatsoever, he could first feign an answer with a couple of perfunctory words...

Yet in the next moment, Lin Guang seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and he shook his head, letting out a sigh.

"Don't know, huh."

"Then you're useless."

In the next instant, dark golden flames burned fiercely in his eyes.

The white-robed elder was slightly stunned, and then alarm bells rang in his heart, as a blood-red light also lit up at his fingertips.

But...

A Sword Light was much faster than his reaction.

In an instant, Chelina had already drawn her sword, and the long ghostly blue Sword Light pierced through the elder's head.

His right arm trembled slightly, then weakly fell down.

From the elder's body, the energy center, referred to as the Golden Core, seemed to disperse with profound and mysterious principles suddenly.

Rumble!!

Whoosh—

In an instant, countless scarlet light spots seeped from his body, transforming into a vast bloodstorm, faintly revealing the elder's menacingly twisted face.

"Ahhhhhhh——"

With a roar filled with corpse-ridden, oceanic mana, the elder's unwilling thoughts before death seemed to attempt to curse the young man and woman in front of him, lunging forward.

The silver-haired girl instinctively exclaimed, "*Kazdail's curse*, he exploded!"

Judging from this power, it seems that even a hundred-meter-high mountain could be forcibly shattered in front of them.

Lin Guang's mind was racing.

Running on fumes and under sneak attack, he could still unleash such power?

If I have to block this, merely deploying a barrier won't suffice. My contractual partner must intervene, meaning the hard-earned recovery of Ether would be significantly consumed again.

In this Illusion Realm, a Golden Core Stage cultivator's strength is indeed not to be underestimated.

The next moment, without any hesitation, he activated the Treasure Pearl in his hand.

Suddenly, everything before his eyes bizarrely began to reverse as if time were rewinding—the dust in the air, the light, even the elder's actions and words began to play backward.

Finally, he returned to the moment he closed the "Thousand Derivation True Technique."

Vishdair exclaimed in his mind: [Just like that simulation!]

Lisa reacted quickly: [Was it the effect of that pearl just now?]

The three of them had experience and immediately understood.

——Isn't this just like using the Divine Object for simulation and reset before?

Chelina realized something: [I'm sorry, Master. I should have used that move directly just now.]

[If I used it, I could have directly killed his consciousness, and there would be no further reaction...]

[No need, the consumption would be too great, detrimental for the subsequent levels.]

[I have some ideas.]

This time, Lin Guang didn't forcibly dismantle the array. Instead, as instructed by the inner voice, he took out the array flags, spiritual materials, and other items from the storage ring, interfering with the trapping array in front and dismantling it step by step.

In just a few minutes, the elder was freed.

The elder's eyes widened, seemingly not comprehending what had happened. He instinctively stretched out his hand, finding no restraints triggered. He immediately laughed three times: "Good! Good! Good! There is actually such a genius in Array Dao in this world! Able to break a Foundation Establishment Array at the Qi Cultivation Stage, I—"

Before the elder could continue, Lin Guang interrupted: "Do you need me to lift the restrictions on you, Senior?"

The elder paused, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes.

"Then tell me, what kind of restriction is on me?"

Appearing completely unguarded, Lin Guang approached the elder.

Yet, in reality, Lisa in the Sea of Spirit had already gathered strength, ready to execute instant movement the moment she released it.

Placing his hand on the elder and sensing for a while, Lin Guang said, "It's a land-based restriction. Earth represents immutability; it solidifies the mana within your body, making it difficult to mobilize, nor can it increase or decrease, and naturally can't recover. Over time, your corporeal body would naturally succumb to severe injuries, Senior."

"You can actually see that..."

The elder's eyes shone brightly, as if realizing Lin Guang's prior action of breaking the array suggested he indeed had a chance to lift the restriction on him: "Then how do you propose to solve it, young friend?"

Lin Guang replied calmly, "A restriction placed on the body is likewise an array, so arranging another array to resolve it should work."

"Wood overcomes earth; absorbing wood element spiritual materials should break the restriction."

The white-robed elder gazed into Lin Guang's eyes, seemingly wanting to discern his true intentions: "Another array on my body?"

"Yes."

"Are you confident?"

The elder's expression gradually became more restrained, turning somewhat dangerous.

However, Lin Guang merely smiled: "As for confidence, it actually depends on you, Senior."

"Oh? Depends on me?"

To the elder's surprise, Lin Guang handed him the book directly, with no sign of caution.

"This array is at the Foundation Establishment level. According to my conjecture, it likely cannot fully restrict a Golden Core Stage cultivator. However, my cultivation is low; I'll need your divine thought to constantly observe and adjust, to check for any misarrangements on my part."

Lin Guang distinctly sensed that a force resembling Spiritual Power probed from the spot between the elder's eyebrows, scanning over the "Thousand Derivation True Technique."

After reading it, the elder was silent for a moment, then suddenly revealed a warm smile.

"Good, very good."

A Golden Core Realm cultivator, not lacking in experience, vision, wisdom… and confidence.

After Lin Guang had prepared countermeasures for almost every possible suspicion, granting him the initiative... he finally let down his guard.

Everyone had seen the "Thousand Derivation True Technique," and the difference in cultivation levels was vast.

How could a youth so young pull any tricks without him noticing?

His white robe suddenly opened, revealing his lean upper body beneath: "So what are you waiting for, my disciple yet to be apprenticed? Go ahead and proceed."

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