To Kill, Be Prepared to Be Killed!

Han Feng stepped forward, heading toward the cliff face.

As his body passed through an invisible boundary, the scene before him abruptly shifted.

The jagged cliff vanished, replaced by a bustling market.

The entire market was small, with only two intersecting streets lined with over a hundred buildings.

These structures varied wildly in style—some were tall pavilions with carved beams and painted rafters.

Others were simple wooden huts, unevenly scattered and haphazardly arranged.

The market was crowded with figures, around two or three hundred in number, but without exception, every single one was a cultivator!

This was the first time Han Feng had seen so many fellow practitioners.

Their cultivation levels varied widely—some cultivators at merely the Fifth or Sixth Level of Qi Refining haggled at stalls, while others with deep auras, as high as the Qi Condensation Twelfth Layer, strode out of shops.

Even more striking were two or three cultivators wearing the standard robes of Spirit Beast Mountain, their auras far exceeding the Qi Refining stage, patrolling the streets at a leisurely pace.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators!

They were the overseers of order in this place.

Han Feng walked slowly through the crowd, covertly observing everything around him.

Fortunately, he had trained in the Elephant Armor Skill, which had stretched his frame and thickened his bones, leaving behind the childish look of a twelve-year-old.

Now, he appeared more like a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old youth.

Otherwise, at the age of twelve, revealing a cultivation of the Eighth Level of Qi Refining would have made him the center of attention the moment he entered the market.

That was not what he wanted.

His gaze swept over the shops lining the streets, finally stopping at a relatively ordinary-looking store in the market.

"Wind Forest Pavilion!"

A plaque hung above the shop's entrance, advertising cultivation techniques, pills, and talismans—a wide variety.

He hoped they had the Evergreen Skill.

With a flicker of anticipation, Han Feng stepped inside.

Inside the shop, a middle-aged cultivator was leaning behind the counter, resting with his eyes closed. His cultivation was not weak—Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining.

Sensing someone enter, he lazily opened his eyes.

"Daoist friend, what would you like to buy?"

Han Feng didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.

"Do you have the complete Evergreen Skill here?"

"Evergreen Skill?"

The middle-aged shopkeeper gave Han Feng a once-over, seeming a bit surprised, then pulled out a yellowed ancient book from under the counter.

"Yes, the complete version, from the First Layer to the Thirteenth Layer of Qi Refining. Three Low-grade Spirit Stones!"

Han Feng's heart leaped with joy.

The follow-up technique he had been searching for so long—turns out, in this cultivation market, it was this easy to obtain.

Three spirit stones were nothing to him.

He was about to take out the stones to make the transaction.

Just then, the light at the shop's entrance dimmed as two cultivators walked in.

One had a long face, the other a round face, with cultivations at the Tenth Level of Qi Refining and Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining, respectively.

"Oh... buying a basic cultivation technique?"

The long-faced cultivator's gaze swept over Han Feng, then landed on the Evergreen Skill in front of him, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.

He exchanged a knowing look with his companion, signaling an unspoken understanding.

"Daoist friend, hold on!"

The long-faced cultivator suddenly spoke with a smile, stopping Han Feng, who was about to pay.

"You're being overcharged. This shopkeeper has a black heart—daring to ask three spirit stones for such a common technique."

As he spoke, he pulled out an identical copy of the Evergreen Skill from his own Storage Bag.

"Here, I'll sell you mine for just two spirit stones!"

At these words, the shopkeeper behind the counter immediately grew displeased.

"Chu Sheng, Chu Gou! Don't you two brothers go too far! Coming into my shop to steal business?"

The long-faced cultivator, called Chu Sheng, let out a sly chuckle.

"Daoist Friend Wang, that's not fair to say. The market has no rule against free trade among us Rogue Cultivators. I'm just helping this young friend save some money."

With that, he extended the technique book toward Han Feng again.

"What do you say, friend? Buy mine—it's cheaper!"

Han Feng's movements paused.

He looked at the two men playing off each other before him, his thoughts racing.

For the sake of a single spirit stone, they would openly snatch business right in front of the shopkeeper?

When something was out of the ordinary, there had to be a catch.

These two probably saw him as a fresh-faced lamb ripe for the shearing.

Still, he didn't lose his temper on the spot. Instead, he played along and asked.

"How do I know the technique you're giving me isn't flawed? What if it's incomplete or has a trap?"

He held no hope for saving a single spirit stone; he just wanted to see what these two were really up to.

"That's easy!"

Chu Sheng thumped his chest and raised three fingers.

"I, Chu Sheng, swear by my soul that this Evergreen Skill is a complete and genuine original. If I speak a single false word, may my cultivation path be plagued by inner demons, and may I never advance a single step for the rest of my life!"

Cultivators feared inner demons and oaths above all; they rarely gambled with their own path so lightly.

Since he'd made such a heavy vow, the technique itself was likely real.

"Fine!"

Han Feng nodded decisively, took two Low-grade Spirit Stones from his Storage Bag, and handed them over.

One hand paid, the other delivered.

"Haha, fellow cultivator, you're straightforward!"

Chu Sheng pocketed the spirit stones, his face blooming with a grin.

He stepped forward warmly and gave Han Feng's shoulder a heavy pat.