The sudden appearance of this cultivator sent a shock through everyone present.

The two Wuji Sect Foundation Establishment cultivators reacted with extreme speed, immediately drawing their magical instruments and pointing them directly at the shabby old Loose Cultivator.

“Who are you?!”

“Let him go!”

They roared simultaneously, their figures flashing as they blocked the old man’s path from the front and back.

The fact that this person had descended directly from the sky was enough to indicate he was at least at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Before anyone could speak further, a blue-robed cultivator in the distance suddenly shouted.

“Uncle-Master! This is the person who insulted our Patriarch!”

Upon hearing this, Li Qingdu’s face turned cold. “So it’s you! Your life is forfeit!”

As he spoke, his wrist twisted, and the long sword in his hand thrust forward at a bizarre angle.

Anyone who dared to publicly insult their Patriarch was essentially signing their own death warrant within Wuji Market.

Seeing this, Senior Sister Zheng immediately activated her magical instrument and charged forward right behind him.

The two Foundation Establishment cultivators converged on the shabby Loose Cultivator from both sides.

“Ziyun!”

Qin Lu’s heart clenched with anxiety. He sprinted desperately toward the scene.

Xiao Ziyun was just a mortal. Faced with a battle involving three Foundation Establishment cultivators, even the weakest stray spell could erase his life.

In the blink of an eye, Li Qingdu and Senior Sister Zheng had already reached the old Loose Cultivator. Their magical instruments slashed down coldly and fiercely.

Clang!

Clang!

The sound of clashing metal rang out. A shockwave erupted from the center, violently spreading outward and sending dust and fallen leaves flying into the air.

“This…”

Qin Lu’s face showed horror, and his running footsteps involuntarily slowed.

The situation was completely unexpected.

The old Loose Cultivator had extended both arms straight out, blocking both attacks with just his bare palms. The magical instruments hovered two inches away from his skin, trembling incessantly but unable to advance even a fraction further.

“Fighting one against two! Who exactly is this?!”

“Li Qingdu is mid-stage Foundation Establishment, Zheng Yan is late-stage. How can he block them so easily?!”

“Wait! This person looks somewhat familiar!”

The cultivators watching from the hillside were dumbfounded. Some with sharp eyes pointed at the old man and exclaimed in shock.

The old Loose Cultivator smiled slightly. Both his arms suddenly exerted force, sending the two attackers flying backward.

Under the onslaught of immense force, Li Qingdu and Zheng Yan flipped mid-air and landed steadily back on the ground. However, they didn’t continue their assault. Instead, their expressions turned grave.

After that brief exchange, they realized this person was not a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He was a Golden Core!

If the gap between Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment was vast, the gap between Foundation Establishment and Golden Core was a massive chasm. This disparity in strength was far beyond what the two of them could bridge.

“Heheh! Out of respect for Zhang Zhenyuan’s face, I won’t hold your proactive attack against you.”

The old Loose Cultivator grinned, revealing two dimples on his dark cheeks.

Li Qingdu and Zheng Yan exchanged a glance. After a pause, Zheng Yan put away her magical instrument and hesitantly cupped her hands in salute.

“Senior… are you Senior Wang from the Combined Sword Sect…?”

“Oh? So this old man still has some reputation!” The old Loose Cultivator raised an eyebrow, a hint of delight appearing on his face.

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd froze. The entire scene fell into silence.

The Combined Sword Sect was another behemoth within Flowing Cloud Prefecture. Like the Wuji Sect, it was a powerful sect possessing Golden Core cultivators.

However, there was a slight difference: The Combined Sword Sect possessed two Golden Core cultivators. One more than the Wuji Sect.

Apart from the Sect Leader who handled daily affairs, there was also a Golden Core Elder who spent most of his time wandering the mortal world. Anyone familiar with local lore knew his name was Wang Shenzhi.

Clearly, this unkempt old man was Wang Shenzhi.

Li Qingdu’s face darkened. He glanced at the bewildered four-year-old child and said through gritted teeth, “Senior Wang! Aren’t you relying too much on your power to bully others? This prodigy was discovered by our Wuji Sect. Why are you snatching away someone else’s treasure?”

Wang Shenzhi looked completely unconcerned. “Who says you discovered him?”

“All Fellow Daoists present saw it with their own eyes! This child’s Heavenly Spiritual Root was detected by our Wuji Sect’s Spirit Testing Stone! You see a prodigy and immediately try to seize him? Hmph! Is everyone in the Combined Sword Sect nothing but robbers and bandits?!” Li Qingdu said icily.

“Hahaha!” Wang Shenzhi threw his head back and laughed heartily. “You’ve got it wrong! This child here is one I discovered!”

A flash of anger passed through Zheng Yan’s eyes. “Is Senior not simply relying on your profound cultivation to twist right and wrong with your words?!”

“Heheh. I, Wang Shenzhi, act openly and honestly. My word is my bond. Why would I lie to youngsters like you?”

“A while ago, I passed by Wuji Market and happened to see this child. I recognized his exceptional talent long ago. I’ve been observing him secretly for many days. Today, I merely borrowed your Spirit Testing Stone to confirm his roots.”

Hearing this, both Li Qingdu’s and Zheng Yan’s expressions turned ugly. They knew Wang Shenzhi wasn’t lying.

Wang Shenzhi looked down at Xiao Ziyun and asked cheerfully, “Little one, were those fruits tasty?”

Xiao Ziyun recognized the old man and nodded repeatedly. “They were tasty!”

“Good boy.” Wang Shenzhi patted Xiao Ziyun’s head and laughed. “From now on, whenever you want to eat them, just tell Grandpa. Grandpa will take you to eat them.”

“Thank you, Grandpa!” Xiao Ziyun nodded vigorously.

Wang Shenzhi’s gaze softened considerably. “Little one, are you willing to become my disciple?”

Hearing these words, everyone present swallowed hard, their hearts racing. To become a disciple of a Golden Core master meant a future paved with success.

However, seeing this scene unfold, Qin Lu’s heart sank instantly as a bad premonition arose within him.

Xiao Ziyun bit his finger thoughtfully. After a moment’s hesitation, he turned to look behind him. Pointing a finger at a figure in the distance, he said softly, “I need to ask my mother first.”

Whoosh!

As soon as Xiao Ziyun finished speaking, their figures vanished. In the next moment, they appeared right in front of Zhang Meng.

Looking at Zhang Meng’s stunned expression, Wang Shenzhi asked again with a smile, “What do you think about this matter?”

Although Zhang Meng was only at the second layer of Qi Refining, she wasn’t unfamiliar with Wang Shenzhi’s name. Seeing such a major figure appear before her, she felt flustered.

She glanced sideways toward Qin Lu in the distance, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. Then she turned back to Wang Shenzhi, replying tremulously.

“This… this is naturally excellent…”

“Hahaha! Then it’s settled!”

Wang Shenzhi let out a hearty laugh, clearly pleased.

He raised his right hand slightly, causing Zhang Meng to levitate off the ground. Holding Xiao Ziyun with his left arm, he turned toward Li Qingdu and Zheng Yan.

“Go back and tell your Patriarch that I, Wang Shenzhi, am intercepting today, heheh! Another day, I’ll go find him to drink wine and make amends!”

With that, Wang Shenzhi, along with Zhang Meng and her son, soared into the sky. They transformed into a long rainbow, disappearing beyond the horizon within a few breaths.

Staring in the direction where Wang Shenzhi departed, the cultivators were stunned into silence.

As for Qin Lu, he was left utterly dumbfounded, his body sluggish with shock.

Wait…

That’s it?

Just like that, they’re gone?