Dashing Student

Luoxian City.

Just hearing the name lets you know how domineering this city is; even immortals have to descend here.

Luoxian City lives up to its name, not only being Yan State's largest and most prosperous city but also the only city with a large teleportation array.

Utilizing the large teleportation array allows one to transfer to another state, far faster than traveling by a large flying boat.

After a series of disguises, Chen Nan arrived here, spending a full ten days.

Originally, he could have just found any city with a teleportation array and transferred directly, but after leaving Ten Thousand Beasts City, Chen Nan discovered that the entire Yan State was hunting him.

The Great Elder of Yuantian Sect, Master Xuanming, offered a bounty: anyone who apprehends and brings Chen Nan to him, dead or alive, would receive a Seventh Grade Spiritual Artifact and a Nascent Soul Technique.

There was even the possibility of being taken as a disciple by Master Xuanming!

For cultivators, this is a massive temptation, since having a Nascent Soul Stage master as your teacher means you could almost dominate unchallenged.

As such, countless cultivators joined the hunt for Chen Nan.

Most cultivators were unaware of who Chen Nan was, but once the news from Ten Thousand Beasts City spread, they realized he was a prodigy.

He fought the Thunder Wing White Tiger at the sixth level of Foundation Establishment, killed over a hundred loose cultivators in one battle, and escaped from Golden Core Stage cultivators, even inversely killing them.

Any of these feats by itself was enough to be astounding.

Especially with the news from Myriad Phenomena Commerce stating that their heiress Shang Sanniang had become Chen Nan's Dao Companion, meaning anyone wanting to pursue her had to first defeat Chen Nan.

This offended many male cultivators deeply; Shang Sanniang was their goddess, and now she became Chen Nan's Dao Companion?

Suddenly, Chen Nan was hunted by everyone like a demon, almost as if anyone who encountered him was obligated to kill him.

More and more people chanted the name of Flame Demon.

By the time Chen Nan realized, it was already too late; he didn't even dare enter a city, fearing that numerous cultivators would shout "acting on behalf of justice" to fight him.

Thus, he could only traverse rarely used paths, avoiding everyone, spending a full ten days before finally arriving at Luoxian City.

But how to enter the city? It was another problem, charging in was not an option.

Just then, two cultivators walked out of the city heading toward Chen Nan's direction.

Chen Nan quickly lowered his head and turned his body aside, almost as a reflex.

"Alas, the city is great, but the prices are too high."

The other nodded in agreement: "Isn't that the truth? Let's try our luck at the black market instead."

"Let's go, Transit!"

Chen Nan pondered and decided to follow them, hoping to try his luck at the black market.

Before long, they arrived at the base of a large mountain, where a waterfall cascaded down, shimmering under the moonlight.

The two cultivators raised a protective magic above their heads and walked straight through the waterfall, disappearing.

Chen Nan was somewhat surprised that the black market, mere tens of miles from Luoxian City, was tolerated by the city.

It's known that black markets compete with cities for business.

However, Chen Nan guessed that perhaps the businesses within the black market had the backing of Luoxian City's powerful figures; these matters were not uncommon.

He took out a bamboo hat from his storage bag and wore it, similarly gathering mana above his head like an umbrella and entered the waterfall.

Behind the waterfall lay a hidden realm, making him feel as though he had arrived at a different location.

No longer facing mountains and waterfalls but instead a town. Streets were constructed according to the Nine Palace Bagua, yet felt eerie.

The biggest difference between ghost markets and regular ones is the absence of shops; everyone placed their items for sale on the roadsides.

The buildings seemed merely decorative.

At the entrance of the ghost market, a burly man three meters tall reached out to block Chen Nan.

"Entrance fee is one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones."

Chen Nan was startled. To enter the ghost market, he had to pay one hundred Spirit Stones first. It felt like a daylight robbery.

Nevertheless, he took out one hundred Spirit Stones and handed them to the burly man, who tossed him a mask in return.

"The mask must be returned upon exiting the ghost market."

Chen Nan mused about the ghost market's peculiar rule, putting on the mask, realizing immediately that it was a Spiritual Artifact. Although Ninth Grade, it could conceal one's aura and block prying eyes.

"Good stuff."

With joy, he removed his bamboo hat and entered the ghost market.

Chen Nan came to the ghost market, primarily to see if there was a way into the city, and secondly, because of the King of Ten Thousand Gu's treasure-seeking eye, hoping to find a rare item.

Rumors circulated within the cultivation world of overnight fortunes made in ghost markets.

"It's all up to you!"

Chen Nan whispered, and the King of Ten Thousand Gu revealed its head from his arms.

There weren't many people in the ghost market, each wearing masks, including the merchants. The items sold were indeed peculiar.

Some were unearthed from graves, while others were uniquely shaped antiques, and even some claimed to have genuine Nascent Soul techniques, boasting their authenticity.

Chen Nan scoffed at these, confident that the offerings from the merchant claiming to sell Nascent Soul techniques were less authentic than the cloth laid on the ground.

The King of Ten Thousand Gu's eye at its brow had opened, but showed no reaction, evidently most goods being fake.

After walking for a while, Chen Nan spotted a strange stall, selling items related to the demon clan.

"Senior, what would you like to buy? Look at this eyeball; it's from the Heavenly Pupil Demon Clan, using a secret technique to merge it enhances vision."

Seeing Chen Nan approach, the vendor eagerly introduced his merchandise.

"Check out this arm; it's a Nascent Soul Stage demon clan's arm. Using a secret technique to replace your arm boosts strength significantly, possibly granting the demon clan's innate abilities or heritage!"

The vendor showcased a hairy black arm.

Chen Nan pondered on what kind of person would replace their original arms with those of the demon clan, or substitute their own eyeballs with demon clan's.

Wouldn't that make them a monster?

And the merchant's claim of potential gains likely had odds less than one in ten thousand.

Yet, some would go to extremes for power, eventually becoming monstrous neither human nor demon.

Chen Nan ignored the vendor and examined a book on the small stall.

The book seemed ordinary, somewhat aged, with yellowed pages, but Chen Nan still picked it up.

Because it was a book recording demon clan language!