First visit to the market

Far west of the continent, the Gui Xu Sea Eye.

This place was already the edge of the world. Looking out, it was no longer a clear blue ocean, but a boundless, chaotically colored Sea of Nothingness, as if a painter's palette had been overturned. The seawater was not water; it was more like a mixture of solidified and liquefied space fragments, temporal threads, and shattered Laws, emitting a heart-palpitating Aura of Chaos and dead silence.

Giant, silent whirlpools slowly rotated on the sea surface, each capable of swallowing mountains—those were the Sea Eyes, which made people tremble at the mere mention. Legends said that the depths of the Sea Eye connected to the end of the world, the final destination of all things, and also the beginning of taboos.

Space here was extremely unstable; twisted light bands and sudden spatial rifts could often be seen, or certain indescribable, terrifying phantoms composed of pure energy or resentment would flash by.

For ordinary Cultivators, let alone finding an Opportunity, just maintaining a clear mind and not being eroded and assimilated by the omnipresent chaotic Laws was extremely difficult.

A streak of escape light came from the horizon, slowly stopping at the edge of the Sea of Nothingness, revealing Nightmare's figure.

He frowned slightly, feeling the immense pressure and the Law's repulsive force emanating from the chaotic sea ahead. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi here was violent and chaotic, impossible to absorb directly. Instead, he constantly had to expend his own vital energy to resist the environment's erosion.

“As expected, it's a desperate place,” he murmured to himself, his eyes growing sharper. The more so, the more it proved that the guidance of Immortal Master Flowing Cloud and the Witch Grandfather of the Lost Village was not false. Only in such a place could there be an Opportunity to break conventions and integrate all Laws.

He attempted to fly forward, but the deeper he went, the greater the pressure, and the more frequent and violent the spatial turbulence became. He even vaguely felt the Aura of certain terrifying existences slumbering deep beneath the sea.

“I can't go in rashly.” Nightmare stopped, his gaze sweeping around. According to the scattered mentions in Immortal Master Flowing Cloud's Jade Slip and the information gathered along the way, the vicinity of the Gui Xu Sea Eye was not completely dead silent. Instead, due to its peculiarity, some distorted gathering points had formed, known as “Ruined Markets.”

These places gathered desperadoes who had fled here from all directions, lunatics seeking Breakthroughs, adventurers exploring ruins, and some indigenous, strange races that had adapted to the chaotic environment. Perhaps he could find information about the Sea Eye's interior there, or acquire a sea chart.

He flew along the edge of the Sea of Nothingness for several days, during which he avoided several waves of powerful spatial storms and a few wandering Void Beasts. Finally, on a relatively stable floating platform constructed from countless giant Yao Beast skeletons and shattered Magical Artifacts, he discovered a faint sign of lamplight.

Upon approaching, he realized the platform was much larger than it appeared from a distance. Various bizarre buildings were haphazardly stacked together, made of diverse Materials: beast bones, reefs, metal fragments, and even solidified energy blocks. Figures moved about on the platform, their Auras mixed, most carrying the ferocity and wariness of desperadoes.

This was one of the Ruined Markets—Skull Pier.

Nightmare restrained his Aura, suppressing his cultivation to the Early Nascent Soul Stage, and slowly descended to the edge of the pier. The moment he landed, countless scrutinizing gazes, both overt and covert, immediately fell upon him, as if appraising a new prey. These gazes contained greed, curiosity, malice, and pure numbness.

He remained expressionless, his cold gaze sweeping back, and a faint pressure containing Xiangliu Poison and Nirvana Aura quietly released.

Those prying gazes immediately recoiled in horror, as if stung by a scorpion, filled with dread. Clearly, they realized this newcomer was not to be trifled with.

Nightmare sneered inwardly; in this lawless land, weakness was the original sin. He strode into the interior of the Ruined Market.

The Ruined Market was chaotic and almost without rules. Fights would break out at the slightest disagreement, with swords drawn. The victor plundered everything, while the loser was casually thrown into the Sea of Nothingness below, not even a ripple forming. On both sides were various stalls, selling bizarre items: twisted minerals, bone fragments tainted with ominous Auras, incomplete ancient Cultivation Techniques, and even imprisoned, weakened spirits... Transactions were mostly bartering, occasionally using a local specialty—void crystal stone—as currency, which contained faint spatial energy.

Nightmare stopped before a stall shrouded in a black robe, selling information. The stall owner's Aura was very strange, neither human nor non-human.

“A recent sea chart of the Sea Eye, and markings for the 'Law Disorder Zone,'” Nightmare said in a hoarse voice, directly tossing over several highly poisonous crystal cores obtained from Yao Beasts he had killed along the way.

The stall owner picked up the crystal cores, sniffed them, and a hoarse laugh emerged from beneath the black robe: “A newcomer? You've got guts, these poison cores are of good quality. I have sea charts, but only for the outer perimeter; the path deep into the Sea Eye changes constantly, there's no fixed chart. I can mark a few recent Law Disorder Zones, but those are dead ends, a one-way trip to certain death. Are you sure you want them?”

“Less talk,” Nightmare's tone was icy.

The stall owner said no more, tossing over a bone fragment. Nightmare's Divine Sense swept over it; it indeed outlined a rough sea map, marking several giant Sea Eye whirlpools and a few areas emitting dangerous red light.

The transaction complete, Nightmare turned to leave.

However, the stall owner suddenly whispered, “Be careful recently. The Fisherman's people are very active, specifically fishing for big fish like you newcomers.”

Nightmare's steps paused, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

The Fisherman!

The name the Witch Grandfather of the Lost Village had warned him about!

“What are their characteristics? What is their purpose?” Nightmare asked in a deep voice.

“Characteristics? Heh heh, it could be anyone around you.” The stall owner let out an ambiguous chuckle. “Purpose? Who knows? Perhaps they're capturing people to scout paths, or perhaps they're looking for special sacrifices... In short, being targeted by them is not a good thing. For the sake of these poison cores, I'll give you a piece of advice: don't trust any sudden 'goodwill.'”

After speaking, the stall owner ignored Nightmare, as if he had fallen asleep.

Nightmare remained silent for a moment, then turned and merged into the chaotic crowd. His vigilance was raised to its highest. The Fisherman, this mysterious organization, had indeed extended its reach here. They seemed to have been operating here for a long time, with grand schemes.

He wandered around the Ruined Market for a while longer, exchanging some unused Materials for a small amount of void crystal stone and some information about strange Materials that might appear inside the Sea Eye, as well as dangerous indigenous creatures.

Just as he was about to leave the Ruined Market to find a place to study the sea chart, a commotion ahead caught his attention.

He saw several Cultivators wearing unified uniforms with a strange black fishing hook totem embroidered on their chests, surrounding a stall, looking aggressive. Leading them was a pale young man with sinister eyes and a Middle Nascent Soul Stage cultivation.

“Old man, you dare to hide something that our Sea Hook Gang has taken a fancy to? Hand it over!” The pale man sneered, pressuring the stall owner—an old Cultivator with a weakened Aura, only at the Golden Core Stage.

The old Cultivator pleaded bitterly: “Branch Master Liu, it's not that this old man is hiding anything; that Void Spirit Mushroom has really been sold… please have mercy…”

“Sold? Sold to whom?” Branch Master Liu's eyes sharpened.

Nightmare's gaze swept over, and he noticed that the old Cultivator's pleading eyes seemed to inadvertently, and very subtly, glance in his direction.

A trap!

Nightmare realized that this was very likely the “sudden goodwill” the previous stall owner had mentioned! This old Cultivator and this so-called “Sea Hook Gang” (likely an outer organization of “The Fisherman”) were putting on an act, their target being him, the new “big fish”!

They wanted to find an excuse to make a move on him!

Nightmare sneered inwardly, but his face remained expressionless, as if he hadn't seen anything, and he continued towards the edge of the pier.

“Stop!” Branch Master Liu indeed roared, and with his men, instantly surrounded Nightmare, blocking his path, scrutinizing him with ill intent. “A newcomer? That old fool said the Void Spirit Mushroom was sold to you? If you know what's good for you, hand it over! That's something our Sea Hook Gang reserved!”

Nightmare stopped, his gaze calm as he looked at him: “I didn't buy any spirit mushroom. Get out of the way.”

“You say you didn't buy it, so you didn't buy it? We'll know once we search!” Branch Master Liu grinned menacingly, gave a look, and a burly man at the Early Nascent Soul Stage immediately reached out to grab Nightmare's Storage Pouch!

This grab seemed reckless, but it secretly contained a sinister move; the finger wind was sharp, imbued with a force that sealed space!

A cold light flashed in Nightmare's eyes!

Since the other party was actively seeking death, he couldn't be blamed!

He neither dodged nor avoided. The moment the burly man's finger was about to touch him, Nightmare's right hand moved first, shooting out like lightning!

On his fingertip, a gray-white and dark-green entwined Nirvana poisonous light flashed and vanished!

Soul Shattering Finger! Empowered by the myriad poison nascent soul and a trace of Nirvana Law!

Pfft!

A faint muffled sound.

The burly man's movements instantly froze, the menacing grin on his face solidified. He looked down at his chest, only to see a finger-sized hole appear there, bleeding no blood, but the surrounding flesh was rapidly turning gray, withered, and annihilated at a visible speed!

Even his Nascent Soul didn't have time to escape!

“You…” He looked at Nightmare in disbelief, his eyes filled with terror. The next moment, he completely turned into flying ash, vanishing without a trace!

Instant kill!

Silence!

The previously noisy Ruined Market instantly fell silent! All the onlookers gasped, staring at Nightmare in disbelief.

Branch Master Liu's menacing grin also instantly froze, turning into shock and a hint of fear! He hadn't expected this seemingly Early Nascent Soul Stage fellow to possess such terrifying and bizarre strength!

“Attack together! Take him down!” Branch Master Liu roared in fury and alarm, conjuring a trident-shaped Magic Treasure, leading the remaining few to attack Nightmare simultaneously!

Nightmare snorted coldly, his figure swaying. Demonic Shadow Evasion Technique was unleashed, instantly transforming into several demonic shadows, difficult to distinguish between real and fake!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Intense collision sounds erupted instantly!

But the battle ended faster than anyone imagined!

Nightmare's figure was like a ghost, weaving among the few people. Every strike brought down one person! Either turned into flying ash by the Nirvana finger wind, or torn apart by poisonous claws and blackened all over, or momentarily dazed by strange illusions and then killed with a single blow!

In just a few breaths, all the Sea Hook Gang members, except for Branch Master Liu, were annihilated!

Branch Master Liu was scared out of his wits, turning to flee!

But a cold finger wind had already pressed against his back.

“Who is The Fisherman? What is deep within the Sea Eye? Speak!” Nightmare's icy voice rang in his ear, like the whisper of death.

Branch Master Liu trembled violently, his face ashen: “I… I don't know… I'm just an outer branch master… I only follow orders… responsible for… responsible for finding suitable newcomers…”

“What for, suitable newcomers?”

“To… to send them into the 'altar' deep within the Sea Eye… I really don't know anything else! Please spare me…”

Pfft!

Before he could finish speaking, the finger wind had already pierced through his body.

Branch Master Liu's expression froze, his body rapidly decaying and annihilating.

Nightmare expressionlessly collected the Storage Pouches of the few people, as if he had just crushed a few ants. Amidst the surrounding dead silence and fearful gazes, he slowly walked to the stall of the old Cultivator who was already scared stiff.

The old Cultivator kowtowed like pounding garlic: “Senior, spare my life! Senior, spare my life! They forced me…”

Nightmare didn't even look at him, his gaze falling upon an inconspicuous, rust-covered bronze fragment on the stall. The fragment gave him a faint, strange sense of familiarity.

He picked up the fragment, dropped a few void crystal stones, and turned into a streak of escape light, leaving this troublesome Ruined Market without hesitation.

After flying a sufficient distance, he took out the bronze fragment and examined it carefully.

Beneath the rust on the fragment, some ancient pattern seemed to be carved. That pattern… was somewhat similar to a certain emblem on the murals of the Cang Clan's ancient hall in his memory!

“A relic of the Cang Clan? How could it appear here?”

Nightmare looked at the endless perilous Sea of Nothingness ahead, then at the bronze fragment in his hand, his eyes becoming incredibly profound.

The Gui Xu Sea Eye was even more complex than he had imagined.

The Fisherman, the altar, the Cang Clan relics, the Law Disorder Zone… what exactly was hidden behind all of this?

He put away the fragment, his gaze firmly fixed on the depths of the Sea Eye.

Regardless of whether it was an abyss or the other shore ahead, he had to venture forth.

His escape light accelerated, resolutely rushing into that chaotically colored, all-consuming Sea of Nothingness.