The Commercial Alliance differed from other merchant groups; they had far too many supplies to transport. With multiple merchant associations moving together, their departure was much later than other merchant caravans. Communication with other linked caravans broke down, and none of the scouts sent to explore the roads returned. Before their deaths, they transmitted messages indicating the Black Blood Bizarre were blocking the paths.

The Commercial Alliance immediately sought alternative routes, dispatching Cultivators to investigate other potential exits, only to receive strangely consistent results.

Black Blood Bizarre!

Every single exit was blocked by the Black Blood Bizarre, leaving no chance to escape the Great Wilderness.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the Commercial Alliance hurried back to the Great Wilderness Market. Some, unconvinced of danger, continued their journey and have since lost all contact. As various pieces of intelligence were pieced together, the answer became clear: all escape routes from the Great Wilderness had been sealed off by the Black Blood Bizarre...

Why would it do this? Is it trying to completely annihilate us?!

Countless years ago, a powerful Cultivator might have been the one who sealed it, leaving it with a deep-seated hatred for humanity. Given this, its actions were not entirely incomprehensible. The unfortunate ones were simply those who had encountered the Black Blood Bizarre.

"Ah! Why didn't I flee with my Sect overnight!"

"It's all your fault, you fools! If we had acted sooner, this wouldn't have happened! For the sake of meager profits, you've ensnared us all in this mess."

Even the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Pill Cauldron Pavilion couldn't help but lose composure and curse in anger.

"Haha, we can't escape! Everyone's going to die here!"

The Cultivators hurled insults and blame at each other, while some looked on in despair, not believing they could escape a Bizarre Demon that even Golden Core Cultivators couldn't kill.

Farther away, more Cultivators fled towards the Great Wilderness, including both family clan Cultivators and Loose Cultivators.

Jia Ren watched from a distance, his eyes lighting up.

The Talisman Cultivators' Association? he thought. And a considerable number of Talisman Makers, they're still alive? This is good news! Who has the most Rhinoceros Horns? The Talisman Cultivators' Association ranks second; other small forces wouldn't dare claim first. This is definitely my best opportunity to obtain Rhinoceros Horns. Just wait!

Jia Ren was the first to return to his residence, ordering the Sound Seizing Demon Mosquitoes to act as spies, closely monitoring the Talisman Cultivators' Association's every move. From beginning to end, he maintained the Turtle Breath Technique, not daring to relax even for a moment.

All those who had seen the Black Blood Bizarre were dead... This sentence echoed incessantly in his mind.

Jia Ren didn't know whether the Black Blood Bizarre would come for him. His only reliance was the Turtle Breath Technique, which, having reached the Extraordinary Saint Level, possessed a powerful concealment ability. Still, he was unsure if it could truly hide him from the Black Blood Bizarre.

A solution must be found. He needed to obtain Rhinoceros Horns as quickly as possible and craft a large number of Evil Warding Talismans.

Meng Family Cultivators and many Talisman Makers gathered, their faces etched with unease and fear for the future. The Meng Family had always been the actual controllers of the Talisman Cultivators' Association. Unwilling to abandon what they had painstakingly built, they planned to relocate to another Market for a fresh start. They called upon the members of the Association, offering them free passage.

Could there truly be such a stroke of luck?

Talisman Makers, along with their families, flocked to the Meng Family, preparing to follow their lead out of the Great Wilderness. The Meng Family was far luckier than other merchant caravans; shortly after their departure, they received information from an Elder of the Five Elements Sect's Talisman Hall that the Black Blood Bizarre were blocking the paths and that all subsequent Cultivators from the Sect who tried to flee had perished. Armed with this early intelligence, the Meng Family sent out scouts to verify the information. Their decisive call to abandon leaving the Great Wilderness was the reason they were able to return safely.

Though still alive, fear lingered persistently in everyone's hearts. No one knew when the Black Blood Bizarre would arrive, or when they might die.

"In times of peril, we must all pull together," a Meng Family representative announced. "The best way to combat Bizarre Demons is with Evil Warding Talismans. The Meng Family will provide a batch of Evil-warding Spirit Ink, and we hope everyone will work diligently to craft Evil Warding Talismans. We will also collaborate with the Commercial Alliance to seek out Formation experts, aiming to rebuild the Market's protective Formations."

With all exits from the Great Wilderness blocked, they were trapped. Nobody wanted to sit idly by and await death, so plans were made to rebuild the Formations within the Market. An extra layer of protection could mean an extra layer of safety.

Although likely ineffective against the Black Blood Bizarre...

The second priority was Evil Warding Talismans—the more, the better. This was paramount. Of the Four Arts of Cultivation—Formations, Elixirs, Talismans, and Magic Artifacts—all offered means to subdue Bizarre Demons. Compared to Talismans, the other three required far greater skills and imposed more restrictions. Among the Cultivators presently assembled, none skilled in Formations, Elixirs, or Magic Artifacts could create Evil-warding Treasures. They were nowhere near as simple and easy to master as Evil Warding Talismans. Evil Warding Talismans were crucial, possibly the key to their very survival.

The Meng Family took out a large quantity of Rhinoceros Horns to produce Evil-warding Spirit Ink, aiming for the maximum possible amount.

"This is what we should do," the Talisman Makers nodded in agreement, each receiving their allotted share of Evil-warding Spirit Ink, their faces showing little joy.

Evil Warding Talismans effective against the Black Blood Bizarre? Isn't that a bit naive? Even if they were effective, the number needed would be in the thousands, perhaps tens of thousands. How could ordinary people afford that?

Talisman Master Zhang sighed, receiving his portion: a total of one hundred units of Evil-warding Spirit Ink.

"Each Talisman Master must submit fifty Evil Warding Talismans, and none of them can be defective," came the Meng Family's decree. "Those who fail to meet this demand, don't blame us for being ruthless."

"Fifty Evil Warding Talismans? That's far too many! Who can consistently guarantee such a high success rate? And to ensure quality—the demand is too strict."

"Could the requirement be lowered? How about forty Evil Warding Talismans? My success rate is only forty percent."

Talisman Makers' skills varied; maintaining a success rate above forty percent for Evil Warding Talismans already marked one as a seasoned practitioner. Ensuring the quality of the Evil Warding Talismans was something only the most experienced Talisman Masters could guarantee. If one failed, they would have to compensate with their own Evil Warding Talismans.

"If you're unwilling, it's simple: the Great Wilderness Market has no place for idlers," was the stern reply. "The Market will soon organize hunting parties into the Great Wilderness to secure a long-term food supply by hunting demon beasts. If you're not willing to make Talismans, go hunt demon beasts."

Hunting demon beasts?

The Talisman Masters turned pale. Who didn't know the dangers of hunting demon beasts? Moreover, they would also face the risk of encountering Bizarre Demons.

Talisman Master Zhang returned with the Evil-warding Spirit Ink, his face devoid of joy. He went back to his residence and silently began preparing for Talisman Crafting; the task had a time limit and needed to be completed as soon as possible. Talisman Master Zhang's right hand, however, shook uncontrollably, preventing him from starting.

After Zhen Yi disappeared, Talisman Master Zhang had confronted a Talisman Master surnamed Mo, who had given his disciple a hard time, suspecting him of harming his talented apprentice. A quarrel had escalated to blows. Ever since, his right hand had suffered an ailment, vibrating inexplicably and severely affecting his Talisman Crafting. Fortunately, he had already stopped Talisman Crafting himself and focused solely on teaching his daughter the art to take over for him.

Little did he expect that a series of misfortunes would follow, forcing Talisman Master Zhang to leave with the Meng Family, using his status as a member of the Talisman Cultivators' Association.

Who would have thought their path would be blocked, and now he had to face the task of producing sixty Evil Warding Talismans? How was he to complete this?!

"Daddy, do you want me to craft the Evil Warding Talismans for you?" Zhang Peng Peng knew the situation well; her father was no longer capable of crafting the required Evil Warding Talismans. If they failed to deliver enough, their family would be expelled, losing the protection of the Talisman Cultivators' Association.

"Nonsense!" Talisman Master Zhang reprimanded her. "You've only studied the Evil Warding Talisman for such a short time; you can't even guarantee a successful crafting yourself. Don't waste the precious Evil-warding Spirit Ink." He then lifted his brush and began Talisman Crafting swiftly. Just as a Talisman was about to be completed, his hand shook inexplicably, interrupting the smooth process and causing the Talisman to fail.

"Alas!" He sighed helplessly, his expression growing increasingly despondent.

Tasks that were once so easy are now beyond my ability...

Zhang Peng Peng's eyes couldn't help but redden; she hated that her talent for the Path of Charms was inadequate and she still couldn't master the Evil Warding Talisman.

How are we going to complete this task?

BANG!

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it? It is late, and it's inconvenient to receive guests," Zhang Peng Peng replied with caution. The Market was chaotic, and safety could not be assured. A visitor at this hour likely had ill intentions.

"Fellow Daoist," a voice came from outside, "I would like to purchase some Evil-warding Spirit Ink or Rhinoceros Horn. Might we discuss it?"

Evil-warding Spirit Ink? A Talisman Maker?!

"Not for sale!" Zhang Peng Peng retorted.

This is definitely a Talisman Maker, trying to get more Evil-warding Spirit Ink and Rhinoceros Horns because of the pressure from the Meng Family and the Talisman Cultivators' Association, hoping to make up for a low success rate in Talisman Crafting.

"I have come with sincere intentions!" the voice persisted. "Spirit Stones, Magic Artifacts, Elixirs, and Talismans—I have all you might need."

Still, the door remained closed. "Not trading," came the cold response.

Jia Ren stood outside, his expression not particularly pleased. This wasn't the first time he had been turned away. Upon hearing the news, he had come immediately to try and obtain Evil-warding Spirit Ink or Evil Warding Talismans. These were not ordinary times; no one was willing to part with Evil-warding Spirit Ink, and Evil Warding Talismans weren't being sold, even for fifty Spirit Stones each. It was impossible to buy or exchange for them.

Rob them by force? That would be no different from the actions of a Bizarre Cultivator. I wouldn't stoop to such acts.

"I am willing to trade Evil Warding Talismans in exchange for Evil-warding Spirit Ink and Rhinoceros Horns," Jia Ren said. "What do you think?"

The securely closed door finally opened. Zhang Peng Peng scrutinized Jia Ren, her eyes full of suspicion. "Are you serious about this? How many Evil Warding Talismans are you willing to trade?"

They were facing dire circumstances, unable to produce enough Evil Warding Talismans. An opportunity to solve their problem had appeared, and it was only natural for her to try.

"How about fifty Evil Warding Talismans?" Jia Ren replied. He had been deploying Spirit Insects nearby and was well aware of the task the Talisman Cultivators' Association had assigned.

One hundred portions of materials for Evil Warding Talismans, and they find it hard to maintain a fifty percent success rate?

Once the Proficiency Level of his Evil Warding Charm Art reached Grandmaster Level, as long as he didn't make deliberate mistakes, he could maintain a one hundred percent success rate. The quality of each Talisman could be maintained at a Grandmaster Level standard.

To outsiders, trading fifty Evil Warding Talismans for one hundred portions of Evil-warding Spirit Ink might seem foolish, but for me, it's a significant profit. This is the easiest way for me to obtain materials for crafting Evil Warding Talismans and improve my Evil Warding Charm Art Proficiency Level, all without resorting to malicious acts. Why wouldn't I take it?

This was why Jia Ren had specifically sought out Master Zhang's family.

"Fifty Evil Warding Talismans? Are you true to your word?" Zhang Peng Peng's face showed a mixture of excitement, skepticism, and disbelief.

"Why not let me try and see if I can succeed?" Jia Ren said. "Not only that, but I also hope you will use Talisman Master Zhang's name to help me contact a few others; I would like to undertake more such transactions."

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