"Three hundred miles away lies a market town belonging to the Five Elements Sect, known as Red Cloud Market. After the Five Elements Sect's influence contracted, the market changed hands, falling under the control of two small families and one Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator."

"I recently received news that an exchange meeting for Foundation Establishment Cultivators will be held here today."

The two departed from the Blood Demon Sect, suitably disguised.

Jia Ren had no issues; his Insect External Incarnation possessed transformative abilities, making it difficult to see through his disguise.

Yang Shengwu, however, with his shock of blood-red hair and ostentatiously flamboyant Blood Demon aura, would struggle to avoid attention even if he tried.

After traveling over three hundred miles, they finally spotted Red Cloud Market in the distance.

The Five Elements Sect had once been formidable. During its peak, it had destroyed numerous sects, seized their territories, and after annihilating Thousand Beasts Mountain, one-third of the Barren Extreme Land fell under its dominion.

Lacking a Golden Core Cultivator, the Five Elements Sect's decline was inevitable.

With Bizarre Events occurring frequently, the Five Elements Sect could hardly protect itself and was powerless to handle the Bizarre Demons. They could only cut their losses to survive, retracting their forces.

The sect's survival hinged on whether the Five Elements Sect could produce another Golden Core Cultivator.

Standing outside Red Cloud Market, Jia Ren murmured to himself, This place wasn't raided by Demon Cultivators from the Blood Demon Sect, was it?

The market was the closest to the Blood Demon Sect and, lacking oversight from any powerful sect, it was undoubtedly the easiest target.

Although he hadn't directly ordered the plundering of Spiritual Medicines from the market, Jia Ren felt a pang of guilt as he was deeply connected to the events.

One after the other, they stepped into Red Cloud Market. No city entrance fee?

Red Cloud Market was far from deserted. Many Loose Cultivators and mortals bustled about, creating a lively scene.

Upon inquiry, they learned these people were setting up mechanisms and traps to guard against Demon Cultivators.

Mechanisms and traps? Isn't it supposed to be a formation?

Red Cloud Market did indeed have a protective formation, but it had long since fallen into disrepair after the Five Elements Sect's withdrawal.

The small families and the Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator lacked formation inheritance and couldn't repair it, relying on purchased Array Plates for makeshift patches.

The market's protective formation resembled a dilapidated, drafty straw hut.

If the Blood Demon Sect's Foundation Establishment Cultivators hadn't stayed away, how could Qi Refinement Realm Demon Cultivators possibly have snatched any Spiritual Medicines? It's because... they are too impoverished! This was the poorest market Jia Ren had ever seen, which explained why there was no city entrance fee.

A single Fragmented Spirit Stone for entry would deter half the market's patrons.

Along the way, he saw many Loose Cultivators from the first to third levels of Qi Refinement. Their faces shone with a longing for cultivation, though it was unclear how they had acquired their inheritances.

They were so destitute that many used gold as their primary currency.

Jia Ren visited several shops, but the quality of the cultivation materials and Magic Artifacts was too low to pique his interest in the slightest.

Foundation Establishment was different from Qi Refinement. The Barren Extreme Land was still too small, with most Foundation Establishment circles concentrated within sects and family clans, making access difficult for Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivators.

If not for the exchange meeting for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they would never have stopped at this market.

"Brother Jia, no need to hurry, follow me!"

An exchange meeting for Foundation Establishment Cultivators? Jia Ren recalled a Foundation Establishment Cultivator surnamed Liu mentioning it once. Unfortunately, the Jade Cauldron Market later faced the Heart Demon Puppet calamity, and that cultivator had died by Jia Ren's own hands...

They made their way to the most luxurious Yunluo Shop, sensing from afar several cultivators exuding a Foundation Establishment aura.

"You two are unfamiliar faces. Are you also here for the exchange meeting?"

"A visitor is a guest. I am Hermit Bai He," an old man in black and white robes greeted them with a warm smile.

He was one of the controllers of Red Cloud Market and the organizer of the exchange meeting.

The few Foundation Establishment Cultivators inside Yunluo Shop, who had been drinking tea, also came forward to greet them. They were the Xin Family Foundation Building Patriarch, the Wei Family Foundation Building Patriarch, the Gong Family Foundation Building Patriarch, and finally, a cold-faced Foundation Establishment Cultivator wearing a black iron mask.

"I am Yang Shengzhi, a Loose Cultivator."

"Xu Sheng, a Loose Cultivator," Jia Ren (as Xu Sheng) added.

Both subtly revealed their Spiritual Power Fluctuation, affirming their status as Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

"Xu Daoyou is a Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage Cultivator, and so young. Truly rare," one of them remarked.

All cultivators present, except Jia Ren, were at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

The three Foundation Establishment families weren't powerful, each possessing only one Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Family cultivators also had to prepare Foundation Establishment Pills for the younger generation and manage family affairs, hindering their cultivation.

They struggled to procure elixirs for Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, so their Cultivation Levels stagnated at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

Seeing such a young Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage Cultivator, they couldn't hide their envy.

Jia Ren and Yang Shengwu took their seats. As the other Foundation Establishment Cultivators had not yet all arrived and it wasn't time for the exchange, Jia Ren began to sip the verdant green Spiritual Tea and, under the guise of casual conversation, started to gather intelligence. "Do any of you have news about the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre?"

Jia Ren's information on the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre came from Yang Shengwu. Back when Yang Shengwu was still a Qi Refinement Realm Demon Cultivator, his information was limited, preventing him from seeing the bigger picture.

"Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre? Are you speaking of the terrifying Bizarre Demon that destroyed the Tian Fu Sect, the Artifact Sect, and the Yuding Sect?"

The Yuding Sect was also destroyed? This information had never reached him. The Yuding Sect had used its Jade Cauldron Market as a diversion, a sacrifice in hopes of survival, but ultimately, they hadn't escaped their fate.

No wonder the Foundation Establishment Cultivator surnamed Liu never returned to his sect; the Yuding Sect had been annihilated.

"After annihilating the Yuding Sect, the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre's whereabouts became unknown. Some detected strong Spiritual Power Fluctuations. Thousands of Heart Guile Puppets lay fallen, but the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre itself was nowhere to be found."

Failing to obtain more intelligence on the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre left him feeling uneasy.

"Eight thousand miles away in Yuanjiang, a vast sea of blood has appeared, trapping tens of thousands of people within, unable to escape."

"Any cultivator or mortal who approaches loses all contact."

Before Jia Ren could process the news about the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre, he heard of another Bizarre Demon, likely related to the Black Blood Bizarre.

The Black Blood Bizarre had not ceased its rampage. The only solace was its considerable distance from their current location.

"Near North Abyss, a powerful Bizarre Demon has appeared. Tens of thousands have fallen into a deep slumber, dying in their sleep, unable to awaken."

They listed some of the most formidable and notorious Bizarre Demons. Who knew how many lesser-known ones lurked?

This was the worst of times!

A chaotic era of demons and rampant Bizarre Demons.

"Ji Qiong of Cold Moon Palace greets all fellow Daoists."

A light laugh sounded from a distance as a woman in green palatial attire gracefully floated over.

The woman was at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. Beside her stood a handsome youth radiating a Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage aura: "Lü Chang of Thousand Illusion Sect."

Cold Moon Palace and Thousand Illusion Sect? Names I've never heard. Could they be minor sects?

Jia Ren had limited knowledge of the major sects and, having never heard of the Thousand Illusion Sect or Cold Moon Palace, couldn't help but look confused.

It wasn't just Jia Ren; the other cultivators present were equally baffled.

"We've never heard of the Thousand Illusion Sect or Cold Moon Palace. Which sects might these be?"

The Xin Family Foundation Building Patriarch gazed at the pair curiously, his eyes lingering on Lü Chang of the Thousand Illusion Sect.

Lü Chang lifted his head proudly. "It's merely your ignorance. The Thousand Illusion Sect and Cold Moon Palace are renowned throughout the Western Wasteland Domain."

"The Thousand Illusion Sect and Cold Moon Palace belong to the Righteous Alliance. Both sects have dispatched Golden Core Cultivators to the Barren Extreme Land to resolve the Bizarre Demon crisis."

Golden Core Cultivators? To resolve the Bizarre Demon crisis? The presence of Golden Core Cultivators was an excellent measure of a sect's strength.

What is the standing of the Thousand Illusion Sect and Cold Moon Palace in the Western Wasteland Domain?

Their ability to dispatch two Golden Core Cultivators was proof enough of their strength.

With these two major sects stationed in the Barren Extreme Land, they would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to bring it under their control.

It seemed the Five Elements Sect no longer had a chance to rise again.

Yang Shengwu, seemingly grasping the underlying implication, couldn't suppress the joy on his face. Any bad news for the Five Elements Sect was good news for him.

"Greetings to you two, fellow Daoists!"

The family cultivators became much more respectful, hurrying to offer greetings.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Great Sects were always a cut above. The Thousand Illusion Sect and Cold Moon Palace were even more formidable than the Five Elements Sect in its heyday.

What business could these two from major sects have here? It couldn't be as simple as attending an exchange meeting, could it?

Jia Ren sharply sensed both individuals casting peculiar glances at him and Yang Shengwu.

"Have you two fellow Daoists heard of the Heavenly Feather Gate?" Ji Qiong asked.

Jia Ren recalled the Foundation Establishment Cultivator surnamed Liu from the Yuding Sect mentioning the Heavenly Feather Gate as the sect that had once sealed the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre.

Could it be the Heavenly Feather Gate that sealed away the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre?

"You're aware of the Heavenly Feather Gate? Your information is outdated; the Heavenly Feather Gate was destroyed six or seven years ago," Lü Chang stated.

Mention of the Heavenly Feather Gate's demise soured the mood of the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators from the Great Sects.

The Heavenly Feather Gate had been far stronger than the Thousand Illusion Sect and Cold Moon Palace, yet it ultimately perished at the hands of Bizarre Demons.

Destroyed six or seven years ago? Damn Yuding Sect, using such outdated intel to deceive me! Jia Ren remembered how Liu from the Yuding Sect had used news of the Heavenly Feather Gate to placate him. He was glad he hadn't fallen for Liu's deceit.

"Almost everyone has arrived. We can begin the exchange meeting," Hermit Bai He announced.

Subsequently, another family's Foundation Establishment Cultivator and one Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator arrived. With everyone present, the exchange meeting commenced.

"I'll start. One Top-grade Luo Yu Spear in exchange for a Spirit Pill that can enhance Cultivation Level," Hermit Bai He, the host, began, his gaze turning towards Ji Qiong and Lü Chang.

Coming from Great Sects, they were the most likely to possess elixirs that could enhance cultivation.

Unfortunately, his calculations were likely to be disappointed.

The two merely glanced at the Top-grade Magical Instrument before looking away.

The quality of the Artifact Refining is subpar! Jia Ren, as a Great Grandmaster of Artifact Refining, had an exceptional eye for detail.

Even among Top-grade Magical Instruments, quality varied. The Luo Yu Spear had few inscriptions, and those it had were poorly matched to the weapon, barely qualifying it as top-grade.

The other Foundation Establishment Cultivators all possessed suitable Magic Artifacts and wouldn't rashly consider a replacement.

"Two 800-year-old Red Flame Ginsengs in exchange for longevity-enhancing elixirs," the Xin Family Foundation Building Patriarch offered next.

Eight-hundred-year-old Spiritual Medicine? Jia Ren looked at the two bright red ginsengs presented by the Xin Family Foundation Building Patriarch and sighed. While the 800-year-old Red Flame Ginsengs were tempting, he possessed no longevity-enhancing elixirs.

Life-shortening elixirs, on the other hand, I have in abundance, he thought.

"Is anyone willing to trade?" the Patriarch asked.

At the mention of longevity-enhancing elixirs, everyone averted their gaze.

Although 800-year-old Spiritual Medicine was good, longevity-enhancing elixirs were far scarcer.

Most cultivators present were no longer young; even if they possessed such elixirs, they wouldn't trade them away.

"A Second Order, Lower Grade Zeng Beast Demon Core, in exchange for a Spirit Pill that enhances Cultivation Level."

Spirit Pills that enhanced cultivation were a hard currency. The fact that most Foundation Establishment Cultivators sought such elixirs highlighted their scarcity.

Jia Ren glanced at the Zeng Beast Demon Core without interest.

This Demon Core wasn't one of the special types required for Refining Foundation Establishment Pills, and Jia Ren lacked the corresponding alchemy technique, so he had no interest.

The exchanges went around, item after item failing to find a buyer. After nearly half the cultivators had presented, it was finally Jia Ren's turn.

"Solidifying Yuan Pills to enhance Foundation Establishment cultivation, in exchange for Void Profound Stone, Profound Gold Stone..."

Jia Ren listed several materials he lacked, including Void Profound Stone for refining his River Mountain Bag, as well as various other materials for formations and Artifact Refining.

He looked around, but no one responded.

Just as he thought his exchange attempt had failed, a gentle, sweet voice spoke up.

"I have one piece of Void Profound Stone. What is the quality of your Solidifying Yuan Pills?"

Ji Qiong produced a fist-sized piece of Void Profound Stone. Its quality was excellent, more than sufficient for his needs.

Jia Ren pushed a Jade Vase towards her. It contained a total of ten Solidifying Yuan Pills.

These weren't the version he usually consumed but an earlier batch he'd refined for practice, specifically intended for sale.

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