Ye Qin arrived at the perilous mountain range where the Land of Chaos was located, his cold gaze sweeping over the peaks shrouded by dense forest and the numerous dangers lurking within the deep woods. The mountains here were incredibly quiet, a deathly silence pervading the air; even the ferocious demonic beasts rarely made a sound, lest they alert their natural predators. Those new to this area would find it almost impossible to detect any human activity, let alone locate the cultivators hidden within these ranges.

Hou Qianji and Tie Dadan knew this terrain intimately; only they understood the proper way to track signs of life here.

“Senior Qin, should we move to take down the Red Cloud Sect’s main headquarters now? Two weaker Dharma Protectors, plus dozens of low-level guards—their strength is significantly inferior to ours. If we launch a surprise assault, we might secure the entire headquarters without incurring heavy costs,” Hou Qianji said, looking down at the jungle below the mountain range, where a path led deep into the peaks. He licked his dry lips, speaking with a sinister tone. Following that path meant reaching the Red Cloud Sect’s central base. His eyes flickered with seven parts awe, two parts hope, and a sliver of bloody madness.

Hou Qianji was originally a rogue cultivator from a minor kingdom in the Lingwu Cultivation World, having suffered endless bullying. He had always longed to achieve something significant one day. However, lacking sufficient strength, he was just a petty lackey in the Red Cloud Sect, someone whom others wouldn't even spare a glance. Ye Qin’s power, in contrast, seemed unfathomable to him; only by following Ye Qin did he see a path to realizing his ambitions. Once Hou Qianji grasped this truth, he pledged his unwavering loyalty to Ye Qin, focusing entirely on making a significant mark in the Land of Chaos.

Along the way, he had been pondering what truly constituted a "great achievement." After much deliberation, he concluded that the greatest endeavor would undoubtedly be establishing his own sect, raising a grand banner, and dominating the Land of Chaos. Hou Qianji suddenly conceived the audacious notion of wiping out the Red Cloud Sect’s lair in one go, taking over the headquarters, installing Senior Qin as the Sect Master, and installing himself as the Grand Elder—second only to one person and above ten thousand others. Once this idea took root, it became unstoppable. On the road, Hou Qianji constantly strategized on how to persuade Ye Qin to attack the Red Cloud Sect’s main base, plunder it thoroughly, and then establish a new faction in the Land of Chaos.

A year prior, Hou Qianji wouldn't have dared to imagine such a crazy, almost suicidal venture, but now, the Red Cloud Sect headquarters was left with only two Dharma Protectors, both Foundation Establishment cultivators—their strength at its absolute weakest. If Ye Qin could eliminate those two, the remaining members were merely small fry, unworthy of mention. Plundering the Red Cloud Sect’s base was not impossible.

It was a peculiar combination, their trio. Ye Qin had no association with wicked cultivation; he had come to the Land of Chaos merely to gain practical experience and find spirit stones for his cultivation, with no intention of settling down here. Yet, Hou Qianji was convinced that Ye Qin possessed the power to become a hegemon, perfectly capable of founding a major power. Though his own cultivation was low, Hou Qianji possessed sharp strategic skills and had already cast himself as the loyal advisor, diligently offering counsel.

Ye Qin found Hou Qianji’s suggestion both absurd and laughable. Raiding the Red Cloud Sect’s main headquarters was certainly bold.

He considered it carefully. With two defectors from the Red Cloud Sect present, perhaps he really could wipe out the sect’s main base and claim the spoils. The best part was that the Red Cloud Ancestor had taken the bulk of the sect’s main force to seize territory in the Lingwu Cultivation World. Immortal world wars often dragged on for a long time—half a year, even decades—before a victor emerged. Thus, even if they sacked the Red Cloud Sect headquarters, the Red Cloud Ancestor would be helpless in the short term. Any repercussions from the Ancestor’s return were a problem for the distant future.

“Although the number of cultivators left at the Red Cloud Sect headquarters is small, the Red Cloud Ancestor surely wouldn't have left no defensive measures,” Ye Qin mused internally, the spiritual realm of his mind weighing the possibilities. “Are there any prohibition formations within the headquarters?”

Hou Qianji nodded. “There is indeed a large guardian formation within the headquarters, but it consumes too many spirit stones, so it’s usually not active. If we strike, we must rush in before the formation is activated.”

“Let’s find a place first, liquidate the ores and Fire Crow eggs we collected from the Fire Crow’s nest, and convert them to spirit stones. Then, we’ll scout the situation at the Red Cloud Sect headquarters thoroughly before making a move.”

“This humble one knows of a hidden market in the Land of Chaos where transactions can be made.”

“To the market first!”

...

Several days later, the three of them arrived at the largest market in the Land of Chaos.

The market in the Land of Chaos was concealed within a chasm of scattered rocks spanning hundreds of miles, resembling a massive village settlement. On both sides of the gorge were countless honeycomb-like rock formations; by slipping into one, one would vanish without a trace, safe from tracking, which is why this spot had become the most popular marketplace in the region.

Walking through the village-like market, one saw simple thatched huts and small stone houses built from massive boulders everywhere. To avoid being targeted, cultivators usually conducted their transactions privately inside the stone rooms; few would set up stalls by the roadside—unless the goods they sold were utterly worthless, beneath the notice of others. Although this was an open-air market, it was perpetually shrouded in thick mist, making it hard to discover this gathering of cultivators within the gorge without a guide.

This was the favored gathering spot for cultivators of the Land of Chaos, usually hosting dozens of cultivators engaging in trade. Most importantly, this village-like market had no single owner; it was an open forum. Previously, order had been maintained by guards from the Five Great Sects and dozens of minor sects. Now, with the Five Great Sects diverting their main forces to seize territory in the Lingwu Cultivation World, only guards from some minor sects remained. Not every faction in the Land of Chaos had joined the great war in the Immortal World; many smaller sects, lacking strength or ambition, had opted out of the brutal conflict, remaining here. Thus, the market still held many cultivators, though the majority were lower-level Qi Condensation practitioners, with only one or two Foundation Establishment cultivators appearing occasionally.

Ye Qin walked through the market, observing the environment. The Land of Chaos was not prosperous; even its cultivators appeared somewhat "destitute." Most cultivators selling goods carried low-grade spirit artifacts, heavily used. One could hardly find a single decent item on the stalls, and these were all second-hand spirit artifacts, often chipped from use. The quality and quantity of goods here were vastly different from those sold in the Lingwu Immortal Fate City market. If Lingwu Immortal Fate City was a wealthy metropolis, this place was merely a destitute mountain hovel. Ye Qin could sense malicious, greedy eyes appraising him from various corners of the market. But the moment these gazes brushed against him, they registered the faint, chilling killing intent emanating from Ye Qin and instantly recoiled in horror, daring not to look again. Having spent a year slaughtering Fire Crow demonic birds in the Flame Mountain Range, the accumulated bloodstains had left him with a subtle, ingrained murderous aura.

In the Land of Chaos, the dignity of a high-level cultivator could not be challenged by low-level ones; a dead Qi Condensation cultivator was simply dead. No one would oppose a Foundation Establishment cultivator for the sake of a Qi Condensation ranker.

Seeing the numerous scrutinizing gazes quickly retract in alarm, Ye Qin let out a cold sneer. He instructed Hou Qianji and Tie Dadan to sell all the ores and Fire Crow eggs for spirit stones. He himself wandered around the market, looking for anything worth purchasing.

Ye Qin visited dozens of stone rooms, and after careful searching, he quickly discovered several items that surprised him. The Land of Chaos was the intersection of Lingwu, Tianqiong Plain, and Wanyue Lake. Although this market sold some worn-out items, they originated from these three cultivation realms, many of which Ye Qin had never encountered before. Take cultivation manuals, for instance; the secrets from the three realms showed vast differences.

The cultivation manuals of the Lingwu Cultivation World were numerous and comprehensive, covering the eight elements: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, ice, and thunder. Cultivation methods for single, dual, or multiple spiritual roots were all available. Spell manuals covered the vast majority of disciplines, showing great achievements in alchemy, artifact forging, talisman formation, beast taming, and so on.

The Tianqiong Plain Cultivation World, situated on a high plateau characterized by vast deserts, wastelands, and perpetual howling gales. Cultivation there focused on wind, earth, and metal elements, and they also possessed certain mysterious and subtle spell techniques.

The Wanyue Lake Cultivation World, due to its location on a vast lake and swamp, saw most cultivators practicing water and ice techniques; they were not particularly outstanding in alchemy, artifact forging, or other areas.

However, despite the relatively simpler techniques in Tianqiong Plain and Wanyue Lake, this simplicity offered advantages: cultivators from these two realms had reached extraordinarily high pinnacles in earth, wind, water, and ice cultivation, far surpassing the Lingwu Cultivation World. The strength of the Tianqiong Plain and Wanyue Lake cultivation worlds was surprisingly formidable, controlling territories far vaster than even the Lingwu Cultivation World. Their only limitation was a relatively small mundane population. A large portion of cultivators originated from the secular world. A smaller secular population implied a limited number of cultivators. Combined, the two realms barely matched the number of cultivators in the Lingwu Cultivation World; otherwise, Lingwu could not have withstood several past invasions from the two other realms.

In this market, Ye Qin specifically sought out low-level cultivators who seemed well-informed, engaging them in casual conversation. In a short time, he managed to ascertain the general strength of Tianqiong Plain and Wanyue Lake. This somewhat eased his mind. Based on this assessment, the Lingwu Cultivation World was not weak. Even if the cultivators of Tianqiong Plain and Wanyue Lake joined forces, they might not succeed in conquering the Lingwu Cultivation World. The likely final outcome would be mutual heavy losses.

Ye Qin entered a small stone room with a rhinoceros skull hanging above the door. While browsing items, he engaged in desultory conversation with the proprietor, a man with beady eyes. Seeing Ye Qin’s attire and cultivation, the owner knew he had encountered a customer who could afford high prices and eagerly recommended his wares.

“I only want the best things; don't bother showing me the ordinary goods,” Ye Qin said flatly after glancing over the items the owner presented. Before entering this stone room, he had visited over ten others. While he had seen many novel items, he hadn't purchased anything, as his funds were limited, allowing him to buy only one or two items he truly valued.

The owner considered this, then gritted his teeth inwardly. He pulled out an intact small wooden box from his embrace, opened it, and took out a yellowed secret scroll, which he respectfully presented to Ye Qin.

“Esteemed Senior, I have a secret scroll here. I wonder if Senior might be interested?” This scroll held considerable value. If a common customer had appeared, the owner would have been reluctant to display it, fearing it might be unjustly snatched away. But he couldn't use the item himself, so it eventually had to be sold. He had been waiting for the right customer—someone wealthy who wouldn't covet his wealth, and Ye Qin, with his high cultivation, surely possessed capital but didn't look like a thoroughly wicked person; he fit the owner’s criteria perfectly.