The Yan Family! Mysterious Fragment! Han Yunzhi!

Surrounded by a crowd of Rogue Cultivators, Han Li departed. Han Feng merely gave him a distant glance before withdrawing his gaze, turning, and disappearing into the crowd.

He did not think much of Daoist Qingwen's group—not a single one of them.

Daoist Qingwen, their leader, was at roughly the Eleventh Layer of Qi Refining.

The scar-faced couple consisted of a man at the Ninth Level of Qi Condensation and a woman at the Eighth Level of Qi Refining.

A motley rabble.

With Han Feng's current cultivation at the Thirteenth Level of Qi Condensation, the third level of the Soul Annihilation Secret Art, and numerous basic low- and mid-grade spells cultivated to perfection and already capable of being cast instantly—

Not to mention the Flying Sword Talisman Treasure as his trump card—wiping out this group would be as easy as turning over his hand.

The only reason he did not act now was that the time had not yet come.

Making a move within the Southern Wasteland Gathering would draw this place's master's attention and invite trouble for nothing.

Once the gathering ended, when these people thought their prey had taken the bait and became so pleased with themselves that they forgot everything else, that would be the best time to give them a surprise.

Han Feng no longer paid attention to them and rented a pavilion for himself to rest in.

With his current wealth, he could absolutely be called lavishly rich among these Rogue Cultivators.

Elsewhere, Han Li followed Daoist Qingwen and the others to a pavilion.

Daoist Qingwen was still enthusiastically introducing the Rogue Cultivators beside him to Han Li.

"This is... These two are blood brothers, Black Wood and Black Gold of Azure Wolf Ridge. She is..."

Han Li's vigilance had not yet reached such an exaggerated level.

Faced with everyone's warmth, he still gave his real name.

"Han Li."

After a brief exchange of introductions, Han Li began wandering around the Market alone.

He soon discovered a rather troubling problem.

Every stall here, whether one wished to buy magical artifacts, pills, or Cultivation Techniques, accepted only one thing.

Spirit Stones.

Mortal gold and silver were worthless here.

As for himself, no matter how he searched, he only had two or three Low-grade Spirit Stones on him.

They were spoils divided between him and Han Feng after they had killed Immortal Master Lin.

Such a small number of Spirit Stones could buy nothing.

However, he soon discovered that besides Spirit Stones, pills also seemed to be usable as hard currency in trade.

With a try-it-and-see mindset, Han Li took out the Yellow Dragon Pills and Golden Marrow Pills he had refined and asked a stall owner about them.

The result left him overjoyed.

These two mortal pills he had refined actually held considerable value to cultivators as well. One pill could roughly be exchanged for one Spirit Stone.

In an instant, Han Li's purse swelled.

He traded his pills for Spirit Stones, then cautiously hunted for treasures throughout the Market.

In the end, he spent one Spirit Stone to acquire a Rogue Cultivator's notebook called Cultivator's Record from a stall.

It was, in truth, simply a cultivator's diary.

After returning to the free lodging provided by Daoist Qingwen, Han Li could not wait to read through it.

The contents recorded within opened the door to a new world for him.

He learned that Rogue Cultivators could participate in the "Ascension Convention" to contend for a chance to join the Seven Great Sects of Yue Country.

He also marveled at the Ascension Convention's brutality.

Countless Rogue Cultivators fought over a mere few dozen slots; one could well imagine how fierce and bloody it was.

Yet this was the only path forward for innumerable Rogue Cultivators.

Most resources in the Immortal Cultivation World were monopolized by the great sects and clans. Without joining a sect, one might never obtain a Foundation Establishment Pill in one's entire life, and thus never have any hope of Foundation Establishment.

The book also mentioned a strange item known as the "Ascension Token."

Whoever possessed an Ascension Token belonging to a certain sect could join that sect directly regardless of aptitude, and would even receive an incomparably precious Foundation Establishment Pill as a reward.

Han Li's heart surged as he read, and he gained a deeper understanding of both the cruelty and the opportunities of the Immortal Cultivation World.

The next day.

Han Feng wandered through the square alone.

He was not worried about Han Li's safety in the slightest.

No matter how bold Daoist Qingwen's group was, they would not dare openly commit murder on the grounds of the Southern Wasteland Gathering.

They would have to wait until the gathering was over and everyone had left this place before making a move.

Suddenly, an enormous black shadow flashed across the sky, casting a vast swath of shade.

The many cultivators in the square looked up one after another, letting out startled cries.

A bizarre two-headed bird, as large as a small calf, was whistling through the air directly above them.

It looked like an eagle, yet not quite. Its entire body was covered in gray feathers, and its outspread wings spanned several zhang.

Its pair of sharp talons were like sickles forged from Fine Steel, gleaming with a grim, chilling light.

And atop its neck were two bald, vicious bird heads. Four tiny green eyes stared down at the crowd below without the slightest emotion.

"It's the Yan Family's Two-headed Duck!"

"Heavens, people from the Yan Family have come too!"

Among the crowd, some well-informed cultivators recognized the monstrous bird's origins, immediately stirring up a commotion.

The Yan Family.

The foremost cultivation family of Yue Country.

Aside from the Seven Great Sects, it was the only colossal force with a Core Formation Stage patriarch standing guard!

Han Feng looked up at the monstrous bird flying past so arrogantly, a thought flashing through his mind.