Desolate Devouring Art

Cold astral winds assaulted them from every direction. The beast handler wrapped himself in a cloak.

The other passengers buried themselves as deeply as possible within the Spotted Eagle's feathers. Whenever the astral winds struck, the thick plumage shielded them from the impact.

The Spotted Eagle wasn't a particularly powerful immortal beast. Despite belonging to the eagle species, it possessed an exceptionally docile temperament and could be raised by ordinary cultivators. Its enormous size also made it ideal for transporting passengers.

At times, it soared through the clouds; at others, it skimmed close to the ground, crossing mountains, lakes, and rivers. By evening, an immense city rose into Liu Wuxie's view.

The Spotted Eagle gradually slowed. The beast handler removed his cloak and pointed in the distance. "Moonveil City is just ahead," he announced.

Moonveil City didn't prohibit flight, but bringing such a massive immortal beast inside would inevitably cause a commotion. The Spotted Eagle could therefore carry them only as far as the outskirts.

Liu Wuxie leaped from the Spotted Eagle. The instant his feet touched the ground, he headed toward the city gate without hesitation.

Moonveil City rivaled Eastern Emperor City in size, but its cultivation environment was vastly superior. The closer one traveled toward the celestial realm's central region, the sturdier the laws of heaven and earth became.

Without warning, Liu Wuxie felt his body break free from the restraints of heaven and earth. Words couldn't adequately describe the sensation. It was as though he had leaped beyond the five elements and escaped the six paths of reincarnation.

"The Heaven-Earth Lockdown and Worldly Reversal have taken effect," Liu Wuxie murmured.

The Heavenly Divination Gate had fulfilled its promise. For the time being, it had concealed his tracks and prevented anyone from calculating his location.

A large number of experts were rushing toward Eastern Emperor City. The moment the Heaven-Earth Lockdown activated, the world before them inverted, and they flew in the opposite direction. Such was the power of Worldly Reversal.

Without even realizing it, Liu Wuxie had escaped a calamity. Ever since entering the celestial realm, he had been forced to tread carefully with every step. Life had been different in the mortal realm, where he could reveal his trump cards without restraint.

Liu Wuxie planned to spend the night in Moonveil City and gather information about the Shadow Divination Gate. Since the city stood relatively close to the sect, disciples of the Shadow Divination Gate frequently appeared here.

By the time Liu Wuxie located an inn, lamps were already illuminating the entire city. Darkness had only made the streets livelier, and people overflowed from every restaurant and teahouse.

After securing a room, Liu Wuxie left the inn and entered a nearby restaurant. The place was packed to capacity, forcing him to choose an isolated corner.

Patrons streamed in and out while waiters threaded their way through the crowd.

"Honored guest, your dishes are ready," a waiter said.

He carried over several exquisite dishes and arranged them across Liu Wuxie's table.

Liu Wuxie had little appetite. His gaze occasionally drifted toward the street outside.

"Have you heard? Something serious happened recently at the Shadow Divination Gate," a cultivator whispered.

Three cultivators sat around a neighboring table, speaking quietly among themselves. Their cultivation was ordinary, having reached only the lower levels of the Spirit Immortal Realm.

Their voices barely carried above the restaurant's thunderous noise, making the conversation impossible for ordinary people to hear. Liu Wuxie, however, possessed the Divine Tribulation Pupil and its formidable mental energy, allowing him to capture every word effortlessly.

"I've heard a little. Apparently, something went wrong with the sect master's body, but I don't know the details," the cultivator nearest Liu Wuxie said, lowering his voice even further.

The Shadow Divination Gate was the greatest sect within a radius of ten thousand miles, and ordinary cultivators would never dare provoke it.

"Stop talking nonsense. If any Shadow Divination Gate disciple overhears us, we'll all suffer the consequences," the cultivator opposite Liu Wuxie warned.

He immediately brought the discussion to an end, wary that someone could be listening in secret.

The three swiftly abandoned the topic and moved on to lewd jokes. Liu Wuxie withdrew the Divine Tribulation Pupil.

Even so, rumors rarely appeared without cause. Something had likely happened to the Shadow Divination Gate's sect master, though few people knew the exact nature of the problem.

"Finish eating. Once we're done, let's visit the Yin Market. I heard one of the Shadow Divination Gate's guardians will appear there!"

The three cultivators finished their meals in haste. After settling their bill, they hurried out of the restaurant.

"The Yin Market?" Liu Wuxie murmured with a frown.

He had never heard of such a place. He was only familiar with Ghost Markets. They operated like black markets in hidden locations, trading illicit goods.

Conversations at several other tables also revolved around the Yin Market. The market itself didn't particularly interest Liu Wuxie, but the possibility that the guardians from the Shadow Divination Gate would appear there immediately caught his attention.

"The Yin Market will be more prosperous than ever this year. I heard countless treasures are going to appear."

Discussions from every direction flowed into Liu Wuxie's ears.

"Brother, could you tell me where the Yin Market is?" Liu Wuxie asked with a harmless smile, turning toward the man seated behind him.

"You don't know where the Yin Market is?" the man asked curiously.

Every cultivator living in Moonveil City knew its location.

"To be honest, I'm not from here. I only arrived in Moonveil City today," Liu Wuxie replied with an awkward laugh.

"Yellow lanterns will appear along the streets at midnight. Follow them, and they'll take you to the Yin Market," the man explained before losing interest in Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie ate only a few bites before paying his bill and leaving the restaurant. If the Shadow Divination Gate guardians truly intended to visit the Yin Market tonight, this could provide the breakthrough he needed. He could observe the guardians first and determine his next move.

The surrounding discussions also mentioned that treasures would appear in the Yin Market. If Liu Wuxie acquired the right one, it would help him reach the higher levels of the True Immortal Realm.

After selling the Sumeru Stone, Liu Wuxie possessed 3,500,000 immortal stones, more than enough to sustain his expenses for a long time.

Liu Wuxie didn't rest after returning to the inn. Instead, he waited silently for midnight. The streets gradually became unnaturally quiet until only the distant calls of the night watchman drifted from the far end.

As midnight approached, Liu Wuxie changed into a fresh set of clothing and applied a simple disguise. He examined himself in a bronze mirror and nodded with satisfaction. He now resembled a young nobleman, though he had made only subtle adjustments to his original appearance.

"It's almost time," he murmured.

He slipped from the inn and moved through the streets like an agile cat.

Ghost Pupil revealed numerous cultivators concealed within dark corners, all waiting for the yellow lanterns to appear.

The night watchman struck his gong several times, announcing the arrival of midnight.

Deathly silence swallowed the streets as the temperature plummeted. Liu Wuxie's eyes narrowed at Moonveil City's sudden transformation.

Under normal circumstances, numerous shops would have remained open throughout the night. Tonight, however, every shop had closed. The Yin Market opened only once a year, and Liu Wuxie had arrived at precisely the right time.

"The dead shall lead the way. The living must not enter," a ghostly voice called from the distance.

Its sound drifted from every direction, making its source impossible to locate.

The cultivators hidden in the shadows immediately rushed toward the voice.

Liu Wuxie followed close behind and rounded a street corner, where he discovered a strange yellow lantern floating in midair. Within moments, more than thirty cultivators had gathered behind it.

He silently joined the procession and examined the yellow lantern with Ghost Pupil. A frown soon appeared on his face.

"These are yin runes that vanished from the world long ago," he thought.

The lantern only appeared to move on its own. Someone hidden from view was controlling it through the yin runes.

The crowd followed the lantern as more cultivators joined from the surrounding streets. After crossing several roads, the yellow lantern guided them beyond the city outskirts.

The Yin Market occupied a different, uncertain location each year. The yellow lantern offered the only path to it.

After leaving the city, the crowd encountered a vast mass of mist. Every trace of the surrounding landscape vanished, making them feel as though they had stepped inside a spiritual array.

Liu Wuxie activated Ghost Pupil and attempted to penetrate the mist. Strangely, even Ghost Pupil couldn't see through it.

"An illusory array," he murmured with a frown.

He wondered who possessed the ability to establish such a formidable illusory array and conceal everyone's vision.

The lantern flickered through the mist, forcing the crowd to remain close behind it. No one knew how long they had walked before the fog ahead gradually thinned and distant clamor reached their ears.

"We've reached the Yin Market!" someone exclaimed.

The mist dispersed, revealing a massive market ahead.

Only then did Liu Wuxie understand how the Yin Market had earned its name. Dense yin energy shrouded the entire market, making it resemble the underworld and leaving timid visitors trembling with every step.

The Yin Market wasn't particularly large. At a glance, Liu Wuxie could tell that his vision extended only two thousand meters.

Unlike ordinary marketplaces, every vendor wore a mask with a radiating eerie aura.

Liu Wuxie moved with the crowd while keeping Ghost Pupil active. Finding a treasure would be a welcome bonus, but it did not matter if he found nothing. His true objective was to locate the guardians of the Shadow Divination Gate.

"Who created a place like this?" he wondered.

Every item sold at the Yin Market possessed an icy or yin attribute. Liu Wuxie hadn't seen a single object containing pure yang energy. The merchants were no different. Whether shopkeepers or attendants, they all appeared lifeless and devoid of human warmth, suggesting that they cultivated yin-attributed cultivation techniques.

"A Spirit Yin Herb," Liu Wuxie murmured.

"That's a Netherstar Aquatic Serpent."

"And a Nether-Yin Bramble Fruit."

"Interesting..." Liu Wuxie continued examining the displayed goods, but the doubt in his eyes only deepened.

Ordinary treasures no longer held any attraction for him. He wanted something capable of increasing his cultivation.

After about fifteen minutes, he had explored one-third of the market. Many cultivators had already purchased everything on their lists.

Without warning, the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron stirred, prompting Liu Wuxie to turn left.

"Did the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron detect a treasure?" Liu Wuxie wondered, quickening his pace.

Anything capable of provoking a reaction from the cauldron had to be extraordinary.

Most cultivators inside the Yin Market were Spirit Immortals or Profound Immortals. Several Origin Immortals could also be seen, but True Immortals like Liu Wuxie were exceedingly rare.

Although the Yin Market appeared safe, danger lurked everywhere, making ordinary cultivators reluctant to enter recklessly. That was why Moonveil City's shops had closed so early, preventing children or descendants from accidentally wandering into the market.

Experts surrounded him, so Liu Wuxie didn't dare move too quickly. Showing excessive urgency would draw attention. He merely increased his pace slightly.

The closer he came, the faster the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron circulated. After walking roughly three hundred meters, the cauldron suddenly stopped trembling, indicating that the treasure was nearby.

This area lay close to the Yin Market's edge, where the crowd had noticeably thinned.

Liu Wuxie surveyed his surroundings and discovered three deserted stalls. Few customers showed any interest in them, and their shopkeepers didn't even bother to greet the passersby.