Was this cultivator that stood before him at the foundation establishment stage? It was becoming common for people to suppress their cultivation.

Ki condensation had a hundred years downwards. The foundation establishment had a hundred and one to a thousand years. The first bolt had about seventy years of pol in it while the current one had about eighty, which was to say that, Abdin had at least more than a hundred and fifty years under his cultivation. This would place him in the foundation establishment realm. They wouldn't have agreed to this last condition if they knew he was at this level.

The man removed a seal from his bag. He pricked his finger and quickly dropped some blood on the seal. The seal brightened and transformed into a jackal. The jackal was not quite fully formed before the lightning descended on it.

The demon fox opened its arms wide and grabbed the lightning before flying upwards. The lightning tried to wriggle free as though it were alive, while the fox hugged it tightly.

After a while, the lightning exploded and the sky glowed as if in anticipation of thunder before everything melted and got dispersed by the winds.

The stout man was safe but his face still held a fearful look towards Abdin, coupled with some sadness for the expensive seal he just lost. He had spent a lot on it but it had burnt away and could only be used once.

Abdin couldn't help smiling at the man's expression. "My congratulations to you, sir. Next."

None of them was in a hurry to come forward this time. Each of them was repeating the word 'foundation establishment' in their head.

They held no cunning against someone of such level. And because Abdin had suppressed his pol, they had no way of knowing his current foundation. They could brave it and face him if he was on the first foundation. But if he were on the fifth, sixth, or any of the higher steps, then they were screwed. Their faces suddenly turned fearful.

But Abdin didn't suppress his cultivation. Though he wouldn't tell them that.

"The next should come forward," Abdin repeated. His voice came out low, but they heard it like a thunder rumble.

The young man from earlier stepped forward, albeit slowly. He kept chanting incantations even before he reached the front line. His body started to glow with a greenish light. Abdin gave him enough time to finish chanting before he unleashed another lightning bolt upon him.

The bolt wasn't as big as the previous one. Only sixty years of pol was put into it. It clashed with the green glow from the young man and the man was thrown back into the forest. Ultimately, the man escaped with just his underwear, his outer garments having burned off.

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Now, Denyanu was sure Abdin's cultivation was beyond two hundred and fifty years - the second step of foundation. Even more concerning was their opponent didn't show any signs of fatigue, even after the three attacks.

The old man's face was suddenly etched with fear. The three men that went first had the strongest cultivation among his men. The rest couldn't survive even one attack. He knelt before Abdin.

"Senior, forgive us for our ignorance. We have surely made a mistake."

As he talked, he remembered how he argued with this senior just a few moments ago. At that time, he believed their difference wasn't so much and that they were all at the ki condensation stage. Had he known, none of it would have happened.

Abdin's expression never changed.

He was thinking that this old man ought to be given an accolade for his dramatic skills. Anyone who didn't know the old man's story wouldn't suspect he was acting. They wouldn't suspect there was any difference between what the old man's mind held and what his mouth uttered.

"Next."

Denyanu shivered as he moved forward. He knew that arguing with a senior could only mean one thing: an untimely death.

Lightning descended on him even before he could properly straighten himself. He clasped both hands and summoned a lightning bolt. But because of his cunning, he placed just sixty years of pol in it.

There was only one outcome: loss. Abdin's lightning burned off the old man's and went ahead to hit him. It wouldn't hurt him much since there were protective seals on him. And he didn't want to face it wholeheartedly so Abdin wouldn't think he was somewhat confronting him.

Abdin smiled. The advantage of testing them was to confuse them about his cultivation, and he had succeeded in that.

In the world of cultivation, there was greed and injustice, especially toward the weak. No cultivator dared to challenge their senior, however much stubbornness and craziness they held.

The foundation establishment had nine steps. Those on the first step dared not challenge the one on the second step unless it was unavoidable. Those on the third and fourth steps were far beyond the ones on the first. And consequently, the gap between ki condensation and foundation establishment was infinite.

To the untrained eyes, Denyanu's cultivation was just eighty-one years - the ninth stage of ki condensation - but it was a sham. The fact was the old man was at the peak of the foundation establishment, the ninth step. His pol years were more than nine hundred. But he couldn't use that cultivation except on the orders of his leader - the woman named Juwaira who had been conveniently standing behind him.

As if Abdin wanted to put more fear in their minds, he clenched his fist and sent random attacks on the forest behind them. He fired fifteen bolts of lightning, each of which had more than eighty currents of pol.

Their faces visibly sunk. They couldn't say it but one word kept repeating itself over and over in their minds: Core Formation expert. So this senior had formed a core?

But core formation experts couldn't be found in these desolate places. Whoever wanted to see a core expert would have to visit a big city or the great sects. What brought Abdin here? Was there truly an abundance of spirit ki in the castle?

As Denyanu was filled with terror, the forest behind him had already burnt to smoke and cinders.

Abdin let out a breath. It would be hard for any of them to think of disobeying him soon. They would at least wait until they knew his actual cultivation, which wouldn't be happening any time soon.

Although his face never betrayed it, his mind was full of joy. One could say he was just laughing at them. He was still at the ki condensation stage. He never suppressed his cultivation.

"I will open the gate for you now. I want you to step back and make a line."

They formed a queue and moved back to the forest even before he closed his mouth. Denyanu stood at the front, his head bowed.