The Yuding Sect, Heavenly Sword Sect, and Black Soul Sect were still jointly besieging the Five Elements Sect. It had to be acknowledged that the defensive strength of the Reversed Five Elements Array was formidable, standing as solid as Mount Tai in the face of an assault from the Cultivators of the three Sects. But what was the use? Once the Golden Core Ancestors arrived, how long could the Reversed Five Elements Array hold? It was nothing but a futile struggle!
The Five Elements Sect will eventually become history.
The excitement on the faces of the Cultivators from the three Sects did not last long before shocking news reached the ears of their high-ranking members.
The Heavenly Sword Ancestor is dead?!
The Yuding Ancestor is dead?!
The Black Soul Ancestor is dead?!
All Golden Core Cultivators have perished?!
The sudden turn of events shocked everyone. The Cultivators from the three Sects turned pale, no longer possessing the will to continue fighting.
How powerful were Golden Core Cultivators? They could be considered the very foundation of a Sect. They were the Sects’ strongest fighting force and their greatest reliance for maintaining a foothold in the Barren Extreme Land. For all Golden Core Cultivators to be buried in the depths of the Great Wilderness—it was a shock that could shatter the heavens.
How could such powerful Golden Core Cultivators with formidable Divine Skills die?!
"There was a powerful Bizarre Demon sealed within the Spirit Stone Vein. The miners damaged the seal, allowing it to break free. The four Golden Core Cultivators didn’t even have a chance to escape..."
The strength of the Bizarre Demon was so formidable it was astounding. If it attacked the Great Wilderness Market, who could possibly resist?
With that, the idea of continuing to fight was abandoned by the three great Sects, who fled the Great Wilderness on their Flying Boats.
「From then on, the Great Wilderness became forbidden ground, never to be stepped upon again.」
The Five Elements Sect received the news a step too late, their expressions showing both relief and concern. The good news was that the Five Elements Sect would survive. However, a decision was quickly made: "Evacuate the Great Wilderness." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ NovᴇlFirᴇ(.)nᴇt
The Five Elements Sect Cultivators also chose to stay away, completely abandoning the Great Wilderness.
"Elder Uncle, what exactly happened?" Yang Bingzhi asked. His body was covered in sword marks; if not for his Mixed Refining Vajra Body having reached the Dark Gold Body level, he likely wouldn’t have survived.
With the Sect withdrawing from the Great Wilderness, intelligence was crucial. Yang Bingzhi knew he had to find a way to clarify the situation and inform Jia Ren. Many eyes turned towards the speaker; the Sect Disciples who lacked other sources of intelligence were equally curious.
"Inside the Great Wilderness, there exists a terrifying Bizarre Demon far surpassing Golden Core strength. The Spirit Stone Vein was its Sealed Land. The flowing black blood indicates that the seal has been broken, and the Bizarre Demon has escaped..."
"It’s good that the seal broke! The Golden Core Cultivators of the other four Sects have all fallen. Everyone’s back on a level playing field now."
"Whichever Sect can annihilate the others and unify the Barren Extreme Land will be the one that produces the next Golden Core Cultivator first."
The Barren Extreme Land was home to more than just the Five Elements Sect, Yuding Sect, Thousand Beasts Mountain, Black Soul Sect, and Heavenly Sword Sect. These five great Sects were the most powerful, each with Golden Core Cultivators to uphold them. Besides them, there were also the Utensil Sect, Sword Washing Pavilion, and Spiritual Medicine Mountain. These Sect forces were weaker than the five powerhouses, with only Foundation Establishment Cultivators within their ranks. My turn comes when others have finished theirs.
With all the Golden Core Cultivators of the five great Sects gone, these lesser Sects no longer needed to act as vassals. There was now a possibility of taking their place. Mobilize the entire Sect’s strength to forge a new Golden Core! Success or failure hinges on this one action!
Not only the Five Elements Sect harbored such thoughts, but other great Sects as well.
"Five Golden Core Cultivators have fallen! The Spirit Stone Vein is the Bizarre Demon’s Sealed Land..."
"Daoist Jia, the Five Elements Sect will soon leave the Great Wilderness. You should think of a way to leave too..."
Jia Ren was sitting inside a stone house, receiving the intelligence from Yang Bingzhi. His expression was grim.
The intelligence far exceeded his expectations. The Market’s Formation had been destroyed and could no longer guarantee safety. Bizarre Demons and Magical Beasts would rampage unchecked.
If the terrifying Bizarre Demon that annihilated the Golden Core Ancestors appears, who could possibly oppose it?
He could not stay in the Great Wilderness Market and wait for death.
Outside the Market, countless figures hurried along, preparing to flee the place of trouble. Many Cultivators had their own sources of intelligence, and the news of the Golden Core Cultivators’ fall was spreading wildly. Previously, some might have considered locking down the news to ensure intelligence wouldn’t leak. But now, these people were all thinking about escaping the Great Wilderness.
"The Gathering Stars Trade Association will organize a caravan to leave the Great Wilderness tomorrow morning. Loose Cultivators who join the caravan will need three hundred Spirit Stones."
Merchants always chase profits. This crisis was also an opportunity to make money. A fee of three hundred Spirit Stones would have been outrageously high before, enough to provoke countless Cultivators to curse. Nowadays, many Cultivators waved their Spirit Stones, begging to join.
What if one had no Spirit Stones? They could sell their Magic Artifacts to scrape together the three hundred needed. Still not enough? The caravan wasn’t a charity; they wouldn’t let anyone follow for free. Traveling alone was perilous, while joining a caravan could help spread the risk.
"I can’t come up with that many Spirit Stones. I don’t have enough even if I sell my Magic Artifacts! Can you please make it cheaper..."
"Less than one hundred Spirit Stones in total? Begone, pauper!"
"The caravan is not a charity hall. If you don’t want to spend Spirit Stones, you can leave on your own!"
To a Late Stage Qi Cultivator, three hundred Spirit Stones were not difficult to gather by selling Magic Artifacts. For Early and Mid-Stage Qi Cultivation Loose Cultivators, it was an exorbitant sum they could hardly hope to gather. Their persistent begging, as one might expect, resulted only in them being unceremoniously thrown out of the shop.
Jia Ren paid the Gathering Stars Trade Association three hundred Spirit Stones and received a Jade Token with a special restrictive seal.
"Gather at the eastern gate of the Market at dawn tomorrow. Do not be late."
Holding the special Jade Token, Jia Ren attracted the attention of many Loose Cultivators. Sensing his Ninth Level of Qi Refinement Cultivation Level, they wisely averted their gazes. However, when several Cultivators at the Mid Stage of Qi Cultivation and Qi Refinement Seventh Level obtained their special Jade Tokens, a few figures stealthily began to follow them. Unwilling to spend three hundred Spirit Stones and not daring to confront the Gathering Stars Trade Association directly, snatching Jade Tokens from other Cultivators was their chosen alternative.
Jia Ren was accustomed to such sights. He glanced around briefly before quickly averting his gaze.
Upon returning to his dwelling, he took out the hidden Storage Bags, more than fifteen in number. Fortunately, he had obtained the Hundred Directions Storage Bag, a true inheritance of the Five Elements Sect. Otherwise, carrying fifteen Storage Bags on his person would have been far too conspicuous. He took out all the valuable treasures and gathered them into the Hundred Directions Storage Bag.
The cultivated Spirit Fish were all killed and turned into food supplies. Even the Spirit Insects undergoing transformation could only be placed into the Spirit Beast Bag. He packed up the three Formation Jade Discs and all other valuables, fearing that after this journey, there would be no chance to return.
Jia Ren arrived even earlier than expected. He could see a large group of nearly one hundred Cultivators already gathered—this was the convoy preparing to depart. The number of Cultivators arriving after him gradually dwindled, with the total count remaining under two hundred. These were only the Cultivators who could afford the Spirit Stones. In the distance, many other Cultivators watched from afar, not wanting to give up the opportunity.
"Everyone has arrived. Let’s depart!"
It wasn’t even the agreed-upon time, but every Loose Cultivator, cherishing their life, had arrived early. The Gathering Stars Trade Association wasn’t wealthy enough to own a Flying Boat; they only had a few dozen Silver-horned Horse Beasts for transport, but these were not slow.
Jia Ren was assigned a carriage, where seven or eight Cultivators squeezed together.
The caravan set off, with nearly a hundred shadowy figures skulking far behind them. Having spent no Spirit Stones, they were tailgating the caravan, hoping to leave with the group for free.
Soon after the journey began, dissatisfied complaints arose. "They didn’t spend Spirit Stones, so why can they leave with us?"
"If the Gathering Stars Trade Association is going to act , then please return our Spirit Stones!"
"Hurry up and shoo away these flies!"
People don’t dread scarcity so much as inequality. Many Loose Cultivators had sold their Magic Artifacts just to scrape together the three hundred Spirit Stones and were understandably displeased. If those freeloaders can tag along, does that mean we could have saved our Spirit Stones too?
"Please rest assured, they won’t be able to follow for long."
"The three hundred Spirit Stones will ensure it’s worth your expense."
The caravan’s steward spoke to reassure everyone and prevent any trouble from arising.
"You all should leave. Otherwise, don’t blame the Gathering Stars Trade Association for being impolite." The Gathering Stars Trade Association’s steward warned the Cultivators following behind.
"The road is open to everyone. If you can take this path, why can’t we?"
"You’re being far too meddlesome!"
"We’re all Cultivators escaping calamity. Please don’t make this difficult for us."
After the Gathering Stars caravan finished issuing its warning, they continued on, dashing dozens of miles in one go. The hundred or so following Cultivators, seeing that the caravan took no action, felt reassured and began to follow more blatantly.
"We’ve arrived at the location!"
"Get the bizarre candles!"
A Red Candle was lit, emitting an eerie red light and an unsettling aura. A single glance was enough to give one the chills.
"Please do not look back, my fellow Daoists. If you attract trouble, the Gathering Stars Trade Association will not take responsibility."
A sound like rushing wind approached from the distance, as if some Bizarre Demon or other malevolent entity was being drawn near. A woman in a white dress quietly appeared near the Red Candle, her face blurry and indistinct.
The Cultivators who had been following the caravan froze, standing rigidly as if entranced, and began to gather towards the woman in white. Jia Ren, wanting to see more, used his Parasitic Spirit Mark to control his Spirit Insects.
The woman’s gentle voice echoed in Jia Ren’s ears. The figure, who had been facing away from the caravan, turned around at that moment, revealing eyes without pupils—only two dark, bloody holes.
Instantly, the faint red light of the Evil Warding Talisman on Jia Ren’s body flared, dispelling the unseen influence. He completely lost contact with the controlled Spirit Insect.
Many Loose Cultivators in the caravan had inadvertently attracted trouble by looking back. Thankfully, they all had Evil Warding Talismans ready, which spared them from harm. Being relatively far away, the impact on them wasn’t significant.
However, the Cultivators tailing the caravan were the ones to directly encounter the Bizarre Object. Could they withstand it?
The answer came quickly. Of the nearly one hundred Loose Cultivators who had been following, not a single one remained... It was unclear whether they had been exterminated by the Bizarre Object or if, having witnessed the Gathering Stars Trade Association’s ruthlessness, they no longer dared to follow.
The Red Candle attracts Bizarre Demons?
What on earth is this thing?
Jia Ren recalled the strange Red Candle produced by the Gathering Stars Trade Association; it was this item that had summoned the white-clad female Bizarre Object. The Trade Association’s intelligence sources were clearly beyond what ordinary Loose Cultivators could imagine. They knew where such Bizarre Objects lurked and could accurately lure them out to deal with freeloading Loose Cultivators. One had to admit, their methods were indeed ruthless.
The Loose Cultivators who had previously been displeased with the Gathering Stars Trade Association now all held their tongues, fearing to provoke them. The Gathering Stars Trade Association seemed satisfied with this outcome. Their caravan departed, but after traveling less than ten miles, it stopped and changed direction.
Jia Ren activated his Spirit Eye Technique and looked off into the distance. Dozens of miles away, an eerie Blood River blocked the way.
Is that the Bizarre Demon capable of annihilating Golden Cores blocking our path?!