"We should focus on how we're going to escape the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre once Jade Cauldron Market is destroyed..."

The two of them inventoried the Evil-Warding Treasures they carried: one hundred Evil Warding Talismans, a Superior Evil-warding Artifact, thirty Evil-cleansing Pills, and five Tribulation Evasion Pills.

These were Evil-Warding Treasures bestowed by the Sect. Their immediate task was only to ensure Jia Ren didn't escape before the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre arrived.

After that, they could use the Evil-Warding Treasures to escape.

Even so, facing the terrifying Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre, they felt little security.

They didn't want this mission, but once one joined the Sect, freedom was but an illusion.

Mission or not, they had to accept it...

Jia Ren constantly felt as though he was being watched. He dispatched his Sound Seizing Demon Mosquitoes to investigate, but they found nothing.

An illusion? Or was the method too sophisticated for him to detect?

Jia Ren had no inclination to continue cultivating or crafting Talismans, so he found Zhang Pengpeng. "Martial Sister, how many Spirit Stones are left in the shop?"

Zhang Pengpeng's face lit up at this, and she quickly replied, "I was just about to tell you! The shop sells only high-quality Talismans. Although they're expensive, we have no competition from other businesses."

"In just over ten days, we've sold more than eighteen thousand Spirit Stones!"

More than eighteen thousand Spirit Stones! That's more than other shops make in several years combined.

This was because Jade Cauldron Market had only one shop selling Master Level Talismans and Elixirs.

Recently, the Talisman and Elixir business has reached a saturation point. Sales will likely decline somewhat before stabilizing.

Jia Ren took eighteen thousand Spirit Stones, leaving the remainder for Zhang Pengpeng's cultivation resources.

"Let's leave here right away!"

"Take all the valuable treasures with us."

Zhang Pengpeng was slightly stunned. Hasn't Jade Cauldron Market just stabilized? Are we leaving already?

She opened her mouth but ultimately didn't voice her objections.

Cultivators carried most of their wealth with them, so there were no valuable items left in the shops.

He collected several Array Plates, and the mist in the courtyard slowly dissipated.

Jia Ren took out a Sound Transmission Talisman, about to contact Wang Mingyan to ask if she was willing to leave with him.

Before the Sound Transmission Talisman could be activated, his expression changed.

Far away, two streaks of light were rapidly shooting towards him.

One was the Foundation Establishment Cultivator surnamed Liu, who had left not long ago. The other was a stranger, radiating the Spiritual Power Fluctuations of a Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage Cultivator.

"Fellow Daoist, where are you hurrying off to?"

They've arrived too quickly, haven't they? It looks as if they were specifically watching me... Why would they be watching me? I'm just an ordinary Foundation Establishment Loose Cultivator. Surely it's not to prevent me from joining another sect... What other reason could there be for the Yuding Sect to be monitoring me? My identity as Jia Ren? No, there's something else... the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre.

The former would, at most, make the Yuding Sect pay more attention to him and increase the resources offered to recruit him. They wouldn't send two Foundation Establishment Cultivators to guard him so strictly.

The latter, however, spelled big trouble!

The Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre was immensely powerful, and without a Golden Core expert, the Yuding Sect was incapable of dealing with it.

He and Jade Cauldron Market were very likely to be used as bait to attract the Bizarre Demon's attention...

He had to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Force my way out? Face two Foundation Establishment Cultivators and the Market's Formation alone? That's not a very good choice.

It would be better to stick with the underground river plan: use the Xuan Shui Escape to leave silently, without anyone noticing.

"The courtyard's Formation can't withstand the Bizarre Demons. I was just thinking of setting up a new one."

"What brings the two fellow Daoists here?"

Although Jia Ren wanted to leave Jade Cauldron Market, he showed no sign of it on his face and began to feign civility with the two.

"Whatever you need, Fellow Daoist, feel free to ask. We'd appreciate it if Fellow Daoist would lend a hand to help the Market set up its Formation."

Both parties wore beaming smiles. One side was already aware of the truth and was merely playing along. The other simply wanted to stabilize the target, prioritizing appeasement.

They sat and discussed the Dao, lingering for a long time, unwilling to depart.

Taking advantage of the idle chat, Jia Ren once again released the Golden Armor King Worm to continue digging the tunnel.

The two Foundation Establishment Cultivators realized Jia Ren intended to flee and stuck to him like leeches.

Continuously using discussions of the Dao as a pretext, they refused to leave.

"Fellow Daoists, I've just had an epiphany and wish to enter seclusion."

With two Foundation Establishment Cultivators by his side, it wasn't convenient to make a run for it.

"The second day has arrived. Fellow Daoist, you still need to go to the Night Patrol Division to set up the Formations. You can't go back on the promise you made to Liu."

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator surnamed Liu, full of enthusiasm, escorted Jia Ren to the Night Patrol Division.

Since the situation hadn't overtly deteriorated, it wasn't wise to tear off all pretenses.

"Senior, please follow me."

Several Array Masters were studying the newly acquired Formation. Upon seeing Jia Ren arrive, they quickly paid their respects.

"A Second-Order Superior Formation: the Thousand Extremes Demon Trapping Formation."

The Second-Order Superior Formation the Array Masters were studying didn't seem to be a fake.

The Thousand Extremes Demon Trapping Formation was no ordinary small Formation. It was a Sect-level Formation specifically designed to deal with Bizarre Demons, exceedingly complex to deploy, and composed of over a hundred smaller interconnected Formations.

The Formations were interlinked with exquisite ingenuity.

This was, without a doubt, the most complex Formation Jia Ren had ever seen.

Merely comprehending this Formation thoroughly would take years, if not decades.

How could such a complex Formation possibly be set up in such a short time?

An Array Master in the Night Patrol Division explained, "The Yuding Sect has already refined the Array Plates and Array Flags. We just need to position them throughout Jade Cauldron Market."

This saved the most significant effort, drastically reducing the deployment time for the Formation.

Jia Ren seized the opportunity to commit the Thousand Extremes Demon Trapping Formation to memory.

Formations capable of dealing with Bizarre Demons were rare, let alone a precious Second-Order Superior Formation like this. If he missed this chance, he might never encounter one again.

He was like a sponge, greedily absorbing all this free knowledge.

His escape plan continued. The tunnel dug by the Golden Armor King Worm extended to the perimeter of Jade Cauldron Market but was blocked by the Market's defensive Formation.

To avoid alerting Jade Cauldron Market, it had to dig downwards, searching for a possible subterranean river.

The Golden Armor King Worm's search was aimless and thus quite difficult.

"Finally, we've managed to keep him stable."

This was a part of the Yuding Sect's plan; the Thousand Extremes Demon Trapping Formation was the means by which they intended to keep Jia Ren in the Night Patrol Division.

The Thousand Extremes Demon Trapping Formation they've shown isn't complete. Want to learn all the Formation arrangements? Then you'll have to stay put. This Thousand Extremes Demon Trapping Formation is like bait, making him think he has a chance to learn it all.

"How are the Sect's evacuation preparations going?"

"The Sect is still scrambling to gather resources, hoping we can hold out a little longer. No one knows where the Sect will migrate to; the days ahead will be tough..."

The Yuding Sect was trying to suppress the news through various channels, but it was uncertain how long they could keep it concealed.

They had considered selling off the shops in Jade Cauldron Market to Loose Cultivators at exorbitant prices.

However, the risk was too great. If sharp Loose Cultivators sensed something was wrong, they wouldn't just stay in the Market and wait to die.

That plan had to be abandoned, forcing them to cut their losses.

"Huh? Zhang Pengpeng just bought a Water Seeking Technique scroll and sent it to Shi Bai."

"Why would he buy the Water Seeking Technique?"

"The Water Seeking Technique is just a low-level Spell. What's the use of learning it?"

The two of them couldn't help but heighten their vigilance. However, after discovering it was just an ordinary Water Seeking Technique and observing no further suspicious activity, they didn't pay it too much mind.

Jia Ren mentally noted down the Formation details for the time being and shifted his focus, secretly studying the Water Seeking Technique.

The Water Seeking Technique was a most basic Spell, presenting no difficulty for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator to learn.

He mastered it with ease.

While ostensibly observing the locations for the Formation deployment, he secretly consumed a Profound Water Pill and activated the Water Seeking Technique to search for a possible subterranean river.

His efforts paid off. After shifting his position multiple times, he finally sensed the flow of an underground water vein.

There was indeed a subterranean river, its current extending far into the distance. He suspected its source might be the Surging River.

He directed the Golden Armor King Worm to change direction and dig down nearly a mile, finally breaking through to the subterranean river.

The Golden Armor King Worm proceeded upstream along the subterranean river until it reached the limit of Jia Ren's control, encountering no abnormalities.

This was good news.

The escape route was secured. For now, it seemed safe and viable.

"AAAAH!" A bloodcurdling scream echoed from the distance. Jia Ren looked towards the sound. Far outside the Market, a Profound Black Treasure Mirror pulsed with light as a Loose Cultivator, engulfed in black qi, gradually disintegrated into nothing. An ear-splitting shriek then ripped through the air, causing all who heard it to pale.

This wasn't the first. More Cultivators, corrupted by the Bizarre Demons, were attempting to swarm into the Market.

Each time they drew near, the Profound Black Treasure Mirror would vaporize the black qi emanating from them.

The Cultivators collapsed, their life force extinguished.

They were already dead, animated only by a bizarre power that gave the illusion of life.

Heart Guile Puppets!

Their numbers were increasing, proving that the Heart-devouring Illusion Bizarre had indeed targeted Jade Cauldron Market.

A commanding voice boomed, "Seal all exits! Activate the Grand Formation!" Instantly, Jade Cauldron Market's defensive Formation fully engaged, enveloping the entire marketplace and prohibiting all entry and exit.

The Heart Guile Puppets scanned the surroundings, their eyes roving as if searching for someone in the crowd.

What were they looking for?

Upon seeing the Heart Guile Puppets, Jia Ren's unease reached its peak. Without a shred of hesitation, he decisively activated his Wind Control Skill to flee.

He quickly found Zhang Pengpeng in their small shop, his Spirit Eye Technique rapidly scanning her.

A faint glimmer of a restrictive spell flashed; a restriction had been placed upon her at some unknown time.

"Ban-breaking Finger!"

A beam of light shot from his fingertip, effortlessly shattering the restriction on her.

Wang Mingyan's whereabouts were unknown, and he had no time to search for her now.

He sent a Sound Transmission Talisman to warn her to be careful. The next moment, the ground beneath the shop split open, and a tunnel entrance appeared, revealing the Golden Armor King Worm.

Below was a deep, narrow tunnel, too small for a Cultivator to pass through directly.

"Gather Water Spell!"

A continuous stream of water formed a thin current, flowing down into the tunnel.

As long as this water current connected with the subterranean river, he could use the Xuan Shui Escape.

The only uncertainty is whether the Xuan Shui Escape can transport another person along with me...

"Where is Jia Ren?"

"Hand over this person, and I will spare Jade Cauldron Market."

The Heart Guile Puppets surrounding the Market spoke in eerie unison, their voices carrying in all directions, clearly audible to everyone within.

Jia Ren? Who's that? If we hand this person over, Jade Cauldron Market will be spared from the Bizarre Demon disaster?

"Where's Jia Ren? Where did he go?"

"Damn it, the restriction on his woman has been broken!"

During a brief lapse in the Foundation Establishment Cultivators' attention, Jia Ren had vanished, completely escaping their notice.

The two Foundation Establishment Cultivators, realizing something was wrong, quickly employed Secret Techniques and sped towards the small shop.

The Market's Grand Formation is active! He can't escape!

They could not tolerate their target escaping.

By the time the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators arrived, the tunnel beneath the small shop had been sealed, leaving no trace of Jia Ren.

They could find no trace of Jia Ren within the Market; it was as if he had vanished into thin air.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.