Translator: 549690339

Nichang Ghost Market.

When Wang Ba stepped out from the ghost market, he saw quite a few cultivators heading there from all directions.

Without any delay, Wang Ba took out his newly bought Class II upper-grade flying magic tool. After quickly refining it, he headed straight in the direction of the Tianmen Cult.

Not long after he left, a slightly fat elderly man also leisurely stepped out from the market.

It was Li Qu.

He looked around, then released a peculiar-looking black dog with a single horn on its head.

The black dog wiggled its nose and then barked low twice.

Hearing the black dog’s barks, a flicker of surprise passed in Li Qu’s eyes:

“Hmm, this person’s reaction is quite sharp.”

Then he confidently said:

“However, to escape from an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator, while I secretly sprinkled you with musk scent, it’s impossible for you to get away from my musk dog.”

Having said that, he promptly took out a Class II lower-grade flying magic tool, boarded it with the black dog, and swiftly pursued Wang Ba.

Two hours later.

Li Qu looked somewhat serious.

“This person is quite fast, it seems like I have to use some real skills.”

He immediately took a talisman from his storage bag and pasted it on himself.

His speed instantly increased somewhat.

After half a day.

Li Qu’s face looked slightly unpleasant.

“That’s not right!”

“How could an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator not be caught up with by now?”

After another half day.

Li Qu was standing in mid-air, pale as a sheet, but also slightly black.

The paleness was due to mana exhaustion.

And the blackness was because even after flying for so long, he still couldn’t catch up with his target!

“Damn it!”

“This kid’s flying magic tool must be at least a Class II middle-grade! No, it might even be an upper-grade, otherwise, there is no way I wouldn’t be able to catch him!”

Li Qu cursed bitterly.

He had planned to catch that person and bring him to Lin Xiwen, promising him to refine a batch of elixirs.

But now, it seemed somewhat unlikely.

However, at this moment, the musk dog barked a few times in a husky voice.

“Hmm? He stopped moving?”

Upon hearing the musk dog’s barking, Li Qu was first stunned, then overjoyed: “He must think he has escaped from danger, that’s why he dares to be so bold!”

“Little does he know that the musk scent is colorless and odorless, formless and immaterial, beside this musk dog, even a Golden Core cultivator may not necessarily detect it, and it can last for many years!”

“When I catch this man and take away his flying magic tool…”

“Haha, it is only fitting that I should have this chance!”

Thinking of this, Li Qu’s spirits lifted. He quickly consumed a few elixirs, barely replenishing his energy and flew off in the direction of Wang Ba.

Soon, he passed over the prairie, low shrubs…

At first, Li Qu didn’t think much about it. But when he saw the inexhaustible sea of tall trees forming a dense forest, he was stunned.

“Hea… Heavens, the Tianmen Cult?!”

“That man, is he a cultivator of the Tianmen Cult?!”

Li Qu couldn’t help but shudder!

Within the Yan State, the Tianmen Cult was undoubtedly something that rogue cultivators avoided at all costs.

Although the other big sects were not easy to provoke, they at least cared about their reputation and would not randomly attack rogue cultivators.

However, the Tianmen Cult was different.

This group of ruthless Demon Dao cultivators kept a low profile on normal days, but from time to time they would abduct rogue cultivators to refine into human puppets or to extract their bone source, showing their inherently cruel nature!

The big sects in Yan State were wary of each other, but they let the Tianmen Cult grow stronger, ultimately they had to recognize the Tianmen Cult’s status in Yan State, albeit reluctantly.

The rogue cultivators were also fearing the Tianmen Cult and evacuated one after another, almost creating a vacuum area near the Tianmen Cult.

In recent months, there were seldom any Cultivators from the Tianmen Cult appearing, they were having a breather but they never expected this Foundation Establishment cultivator who killed Zhu Jianyi to be from the Tianmen Cult.

Thinking about this, even though he despised Wang Ba, out of fear of the Tianmen Cult, he had no choice but to withdraw from this place.

After much deliberation, he eventually sent out a sound transmission talisman.

Half a day later, a silhouette flew in from the horizon at a high speed before suddenly stopping in front of Li Qu.

The combination of such movements fully demonstrated his absolute control over mana.

The person was Lin Xiwen, a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from Jinhe City.

Upon seeing this, Li Qu couldn’t help but be quietly astounded.

His respect for Lin Xiwen had risen a level, and his attitude had become even more deferential.

He quickly relayed the situation to him.

For the first time, an ugly expression crossed Lin Xiwen’s face.

“So you’re saying that the murderer of my junior is actually a cultivator from the Tianmen Cult?”

Li Qu nodded: “I believe so, the musk dog doesn’t lie.”

Hearing this, the anger in Lin Xiwen’s eyes was almost overflowing.

The wind around him became agitated.

However, soon enough, despite the unwillingness in his eyes, he gradually calmed down and shook his head, saying:

“Let’s go!”

Li Qu immediately looked displeased: “We’re leaving just like this? We’re so close!”

“The Tianmen Cult is too powerful. Now that things stand as they are, we have to give up.”

Lin Xiwen cast a deep look in the direction surrounded by the endless forest and hills, his eyes filled with a trace of frustration.

Those ten or twenty child insects were indeed important and related to his cultivation.

However, charging to pick a fight with a Tianmen Cult’s cultivator for the sake of these ten or twenty Yin Devouring child insects, he wasn’t foolish enough to do that.

No matter how unwilling he felt in his heart, he had no choice but to swallow his resentment.

Fortunately, although a portion of the Child Insects were lost, others were still present, so his cultivation progress slowed only slightly.

Although it affected him, it was something he could reluctantly accept.

However, as his gaze swept over the Class II Musk Dog next to Li Qu, he suddenly said: “This beast is clever, and I have come to admire it very much. I wonder if I could persuade you to part with it? I’m willing to exchange it for a furnace of ‘Earth Yuan Pills’.”

Upon hearing this, Li Qu was slightly stunned, then hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.

But his eyes were filled with reluctance as he patted the Musk Dog’s head for the last time, taking one last moment to stroke the lone horn on its forehead.

He then said:

“Lin, you have made extraordinary progress, I believe this Musk Dog will be beneficial for you. It would be most appropriate to gift this beast to you today, there’s no need for the Elixir.”

Upon hearing this, a look of slight surprise flashed across Lin Xiwen’s face. He hadn’t expected Li Qu to be so forthcoming.

The distance between them softened slightly in light of his frank demeanor. Lin replied solemnly:

” your praise honors me. But if you are not in a hurry to leave, why not accompany me to Jinhe City for a talk? You have been tirelessly helping me for the past few days, I have yet to properly thank you.”

“Your words are too kind…”

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Qu did not refuse, instead, he returned to Jinhe City together with Lin Xiwen.

Nichang Ghost Market.

The three-day opening period passed in the blink of an eye.

At the foot of the boundary city wall, the cultivators gradually dispersed.

The manager of the Ghost Market gathered up the Concealment Array and disappeared swiftly thereafter.

Not a half-day ago, the Ghost Market bustled with life, now only the messy tracts of grassland on both sides of the city wall and a few lingering cultivators could be seen.

It was right then.

A rapid glimmer of light streaked across the sky from the direction of the Song state, swiftly heading towards the city walls.

Before long, the glimmer of light stopped momentarily hovering above the city walls, revealing a figure of the Cultivator with a hint of coldness and aggressiveness.

If Wang Ba were here, he definitely would recognize this person.

This person was in fact Zhao Feng, the former number one outer disciple of the East Saint Sect in the Chen state, who had disappeared without news ever since he bade farewell to Wang Ba years ago.

Unexpectedly, after all these years, Zhao Feng had journeyed all the way south from Chen State and reached the territory of Yan State.

However, compared to the ethereal state he was in when he bid Wang Ba goodbye, Zhao Feng was now indistinguishable from a living person.

There were no visible signs of injury on his body, but a strong scent of blood hung around him.

As he hovered in mid-air without uttering a word, both the cultivators and mortal bystanders felt an illusion as if their necks were held under a blade.

As his gaze swept over the disordered scene on both sides of the city wall, a shadow of remorse appeared on Zhao Feng’s face:

“I’m late! I rushed here but still missed the Ghost Market.”

Upon thinking of this, he scanned his surroundings before disappearing right where he stood without apparent action.

When he reappeared, he was right before a stage II Qi refining cultivator.

“Do you know of any other nearby Ghost Markets?”

“I… I… Honorable senior, I don’t know, I know nothing!”

This cultivator was utterly shocked by the overwhelming scent of blood emanating from Zhao Feng, struggling to articulate his words.

Zhao Feng slightly frowned, the man was so terrified that he collapsed on the spot.

Shaking his head, Zhao Feng appeared in front of another stage V Qi refining cultivator.

This cultivator was much more composed than the previous one. Upon seeing Zhao Feng, he bowed and said, “Senior, I’m not too familiar with the Ghost Market news, but I do know someone who knows.”

Zhao Feng briefly remained silent before saying:

“Lead the way.”

“Yes, sir!”

About two hours later.

With a stupefied look on his face, Liu Yaodong watched the grim cultivator in front of him, turning paler by the second.

Damn it! Why do Foundation Establishment Masters keep seeking him recently?

As Wang Ba departed without saying goodbye two days ago, the effects of the Power of the Yin God started to wear off, waking him up from the Dream Creation.

Before he even had the chance to be terrified, he was tricked by one of his so- called friends into inviting an even more terrifying figure into his home.

At that moment, Liu Yaodong had the urge to kill the cultivator who sold him out.

Unfortunately, he knew he was not a match for the intimidating figure standing before him. In response to his request, Liu Yaodong hurriedly patted his chest and spilled everything he knew about the Linglong Ghost Market.

“Senior, you’re lucky to have found me. I’ve got a decent number of connections. As far as I know, there’s a bustling secondary market in the Linglong Ghost Market, which is located in the northwestern part of our Yan State. Although it’s one and a half months away.”

“However, if you’re in a hurry, you could head south first; although the smaller ghost markets there are mostly run by Qi Refining cultivators, they are also quite numerous.”

“Is that so? Then let’s wait for one month!”

Zhao Feng nodded indifferently.

Liu Yaodong immediately regretted it.

Why did he enjoy showing off so much!

He should have just said he didn’t know anything about it!

But what’s done is done, and the truth was too volatile to risk lying to a Foundation Establishment master.

He had no choice but to suck it up and offer Zhao Feng the best accommodation in his mansion with beautiful maidservants and premium spirit wine.

Zhao Feng refused them all.

Choosing instead to seclude himself within the mansion, acting every bit the part of a devoted Cultivator.

Seeing this, Liu Yaodong’s worries faded and he began to feel slightly safer.

He had many friends and was quite adept at discerning the character of others.

He understood that such a committed cultivator would not cause trouble as long as he didn’t harbor any ill intentions.

Meanwhile…

Tianmen Cult, in Jiantao Station.

In the dining room.

Wang Ba gently wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead.

Staring at the many processed organs and tissues of magical creatures in front of him, a satisfied smile finally formed on his face.

Meanwhile, Bao Chao wore a look of astonishment as he watched Wang Ba.

“He has already achieved the second step, so quickly!”