Inviting Disaster

Dao of Qi Refining.

East Spirit Mountain Market.

"Hm, it's closed!"

Fang Yu looked at the tightly shut doors of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion and continued walking around the market. He found that practically all the large shops here had closed, and some even had notices posted outside saying, "This shop has moved to Autumn Moon Mountain Market."

In such a short time, the entire market had lost all its crowds. Even the cave abodes were nine-tenths empty. Any cultivator who wanted to make progress had run off to Autumn Moon Mountain Market to seek fortuitous opportunities.

It looks like I have no choice but to go to Autumn Moon Mountain Market now!

Fang Yu sighed and headed out of the market. For his trade between the two worlds, the market was the most important thing. Now that most of the cultivators had gone to Autumn Moon Mountain Market, if he wanted to continue moving goods between the two worlds to profit from the price difference, he could only follow the crowd there.

After leaving East Spirit Mountain Market, Fang Yu slipped into a dense forest. When he came out, he had transformed into a young man with an honest, simple face, his Qi Refining Seventh Layer presence on full display.

Autumn Moon Mountain Market was still very chaotic, with all kinds of Bandit Cultivators running rampant. Without sufficient cultivation, one could easily be targeted. Thus, the higher one's cultivation presence, the fewer people would dare provoke them.

Besides, he had now formed his Dao Foundation, so he was still concealing his cultivation. If he really encountered a situation that even Qi Refining Late Stage cultivation could not suppress, he still had a backup. Although his Dao Foundation was merely a Molten Edge Flow Dao Foundation used for smithing, it was still equivalent to Foundation Establishment here.

Several hours later.

Fang Yu arrived at the mountains surrounding Autumn Moon Mountain Market. From afar, he saw a pale azure canopy covering a vast stretch of mountains ahead like a giant overturned bowl.

"What a second-tier grand array!"

Fang Yu exclaimed in admiration, while growing even more wary.

This second-tier grand array was capable of holding off a Foundation Establishment great cultivator. In all the years he had lived at East Spirit Mountain Market, he had never once seen its grand market array activated.

Yet Autumn Moon Mountain Market's grand array was active at all times. The number of Spirit Stones it consumed was no small sum. From this, one could see just how chaotic the place was. Otherwise, why would there be any need to activate a second-tier grand array?

Hm...

Suddenly, a fluctuation of spiritual power came from the side. Fang Yu turned and saw four streaks of light flying at tremendous speed, one in front and three behind. Those in the rear fired water arrows, wind blades, and other Law Techniques at the one ahead from time to time. It looked as though Bandit Cultivators were up to no good, and their presences were all around the Qi Refining Late Stage.

Fang Yu immediately changed direction, avoiding their flight path and circling toward Autumn Moon Mountain Market.

"Senior, save me... Bandit Cultivators..."

Just then, a shout rang out. The cultivator fleeing in front changed direction and flew toward him.

Fang Yu's eyes immediately lit up. He stopped and shouted, "Don't panic, young friend! I'll help you!"

As soon as he spoke, seven flame dragons appeared around him one after another, spiraling upward at his side.

The cultivator was overjoyed at the sight and sped up a little, pulling some distance away from the three Bandit Cultivators behind him and drawing near.

At the same time, the seven flame dragons flew toward him. In the blink of an eye, they brushed past him and shot toward the three Bandit Cultivators behind him.

"Many thanks..."

Seeing this, the cultivator was just about to give his thanks when terror appeared on his face. Three flame dragons had doubled back and slammed into him, and the flames that erupted with a roar swallowed him whole.

Hmph, that's what you get for diverting the flood of trouble my way!

Fang Yu gave a cold snort and beckoned with his hand. A Storage Bag fell into it from the flames filling the sky.

The three cultivators behind saw the cultivator they were pursuing swallowed by flame dragons and reduced to ash in an instant. Their hearts lurched, and then they saw four flame dragons swooping toward them. Their faces immediately changed in alarm.

"Senior, this is a misunderstanding... We are..."

"Boom... boom... boom..."

A rapid succession of explosions rang out. The next moment, only one Qi Refining Sixth Layer Bandit Cultivator remained in the sky. A black shield stood before him, emitting a mysterious light that blocked the flames from the exploding dragons.

"Hm, you actually managed to block one of my attacks!"

Fang Yu was slightly surprised. He formed a sword gesture with his right hand and pointed at the cultivator.

"Go!"

A speck of red light flew out from between his brows and became a red line. In an instant, it reached the cultivator and pierced the shield, then circled his neck once before returning to Fang Yu's brow and vanishing.

Paired with my Flowing Flame True Fire Sword, this Sword Controlling Technique I comprehended from the Moon-Embracing Sword Immortal's instruction can let me pass as a sword cultivator!

Fang Yu beckoned, and three Storage Bags fell into his hand. Another flame then appeared and burned the decapitated cultivator's corpse to ashes.

After doing all this, Fang Yu became a red streak and continued flying toward the entrance to Autumn Moon Mountain Market.

A moment later, Fang Yu descended and landed in front of an archway.

A large number of cultivators were lining up to enter the market in front of the cloud-patterned archway bearing the words "Autumn Moon Mountain Market." Two squads of law enforcement cultivators were maintaining order nearby.

He picked a line and slowly moved forward, while sending his divine sense into the four Bandit Cultivators' Storage Bags to tally his "unexpected gains."

Seven thousand Spirit Stones!

Fang Yu's heart stirred as soon as he finished checking the first Storage Bag.

No wonder this man had been pursued by Bandit Cultivators. He had so many Spirit Stones! Presumably, he had been a miner, though Fang Yu did not know why he had been so unable to think things through as to leave the market.

Perhaps someone had tricked him into going out to kill him.

Looking at the other three Storage Bags, Fang Yu found fewer than a hundred Spirit Stones in total, and not a single other item of value.

The only thing of value was probably the small shield. Unfortunately, he had turned it into scrap with one strike of his sword. Still, the material was quite good; he could melt it down and make a few small things.

By the time Fang Yu had finished checking his unexpected gains, it was his turn.

"One Spirit Stone as an entrance fee lets you stay inside the market for seven days!"

"Is there a long-term option?"

"One hundred Spirit Stones for the entrance fee, and you can enter and leave the market at will!"

"I'll take the long-term option!"

Having just come into an unexpected windfall, Fang Yu took out a hundred Spirit Stones and handed them to the steward at the entrance, receiving a silver ring in return.

He put it on his finger and walked forward. Once he passed the archway, a gap large enough for one person to pass through automatically appeared in the barrier covering the entire market.

Fang Yu stepped through, and the scene before him immediately changed. Ahead was a mountain range riddled with countless mine tunnels. There were no green mountains or clear waters, only bare rock faces and mine tunnels.

Below the mountains stood a cluster of buildings, and figures could be seen flying from the mine tunnels toward the buildings from time to time.

By the time Fang Yu landed among the market buildings, the streets were packed with bustling crowds. East Spirit Mountain Market simply could not compare to how lively it was.

Moreover, while Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators like him were not everywhere, they were still quite common. After strolling around for only a short while, he had already encountered more than ten Qi Refining Late Stage great cultivators.

Crowds mean Spirit Stones!

Fang Yu sighed with feeling and stopped, looking at a shop sign by the road: "Hundred Treasures Pavilion."

He was fated with this Hundred Treasures Pavilion.