The two fighting factions.
On one side stood four people, all wearing dark-red dharma robes, each revealing a different aura.
Some exuded a blood fiend aura, while others emitted a demonic fiend aura.
On the other side were five black-robed figures wearing assorted styles, their bodies shrouded in a faint Yin-fiend energy.
Most of the cultivators on both sides were between the Mid Foundation Establishment and Late Foundation Establishment stages, while their respective leaders had both reached Foundation Establishment Perfection.
Xu Chuan and his companion did not deliberately conceal their figures, appearing abruptly in the sky above the edge of the valley.
Their arrival instantly triggered the vigilance of both battling factions.
Almost simultaneously, the two groups swiftly separated.
Each side retreated dozens of feet, halting their slaughter as they stared at the uninvited guests with uncertainty and suspicion.
The standoff lasted for a brief moment.
The leading cultivator of the faction in dark-red dharma robes, a fierce-looking man, rolled his eyes slightly and took the initiative to cup his fists. His tone carried a probing nature and a hint of self-reliance, "Greetings, two Daoist friends.
I am Sima Yan, a steward of the Sima Family from Greedy Wolf Prefecture.
Today, my Sima Family and these friends from Ancient Nether City have found this Blood Flame Flower, and we are currently discussing its ownership.
May I ask if you two Daoist friends passing by have any guidance for us?"
He deliberately pointed out his own identity and the background of the opposing side, intending to intimidate them.
Among the black-robed figures opposite him, a sinister-looking old man coldly snorted and chimed in, "Indeed. This is a matter between our Ancient Nether City and the Sima Family.
If the two of you are just passing by, please do us a favor and move along."
Although he was also wary, his tone remained tough.
After all, Ancient Nether City was the number one power beneath the Greedy Wolf Sect, standing even above the Three Great Families.
In their view, although the auras of these two suddenly appearing men were bizarre and difficult to fathom, their ordinary attire did not suggest they hailed from a major sect or great family.
They looked more like high-level rogue cultivators without any significant backing.
Hearing this, the corners of Xu Chuan's mouth curled into a cold arc. His apathetic gaze swept over the crowd below as if he were looking at a group of ants.
"The Sima Family? Ancient Nether City?"
He repeated the names in a low voice, as if chewing on the words.
Immediately after, a terrifying pressure—vast as an abyss and heavy as a mountain range—suddenly descended without any warning!
Golden Core pressure!
"Boom!"
The invisible force instantly enveloped the entire valley.
The nine Foundation Establishment cultivators below felt their breath catch. It was as if their chests had suffered a heavy blow; the flow of spirit power within their bodies abruptly stagnated, and a needle-like piercing pain lanced through their souls.
Those with slightly weaker cultivation bases found their legs turning to jelly, nearly dropping to their knees.
Everyone's faces instantly turned deathly pale, their eyes filled with horror.
To randomly run into someone, only to find out they were at the Golden Core stage!
What incredibly rotten luck!
"Senior, please calm your anger! This junior was blind and offended Senior!"
Sima Yan reacted the fastest. With bean-sized drops of sweat rolling down his forehead, he hastily bowed all the way to the ground, his voice trembling.
The old man from Ancient Nether City also looked completely ashen. He repeatedly pleaded, "Senior, please forgive us. We no longer want this Blood Flame Flower. We willingly offer it to you, Senior.
Please, Senior, on behalf of Ancient Nether City, do not lower yourself to our level."
The rest of them were terrified into silence, all bowing hastily and not even daring to breathe loudly.
"Whatever I come across is naturally mine. Taking my possession to offer it to me, isn't that laughable?!" Xu Chuan's voice was flat.
"It was a slip of the tongue by this junior! This is naturally Senior's item!"
The old man from Ancient Nether City jolted in fright, immediately correcting himself. His back was already drenched in sweat.
"Open your storage pouches and leave everything inside. Otherwise, die!"
Hearing this, everyone's bodies shuddered.
Reluctance, anger, and humiliation flashed in their eyes, yet they all hesitated, delaying their movements.
At that moment, the continuously silent Xu Mingxian, who had an immortal-like appearance, slowly took a step forward.
An equally majestic Golden Core pressure spread outward, faintly echoing Xu Chuan's aura to form an even more overwhelming oppression.
Two Golden Cores!
With this, the final sliver of hope in everyone's hearts was utterly shattered.
In front of two Golden Core cultivators, these Foundation Establishment figures were no different from lambs to the slaughter.
"U-Understood!"
Sima Yan was the first to grit his teeth. With trembling hands, he untied his storage pouch and poured the stored spirit grasses, minerals, demonic beast materials, and most of his spirit stones onto the ground.
Seeing this, the others could only bear the pain and follow suit. Their hearts bled, yet they did not dare to hide the slightest thing.
Soon, a small pile of various resources accumulated on the open ground in the valley. While not earth-shattering wealth, it was still quite considerable.
Xu Chuan swept his sleeve robe, releasing an invisible force that collected all the items on the ground, including the Blood Flame Flower.
Having done this, his gaze casually swept over the group, landing on a pale-faced young demonic cultivator among the five from Ancient Nether City, who looked to be the youngest.
"You, come here."
The young demonic cultivator trembled all over. He nervously flew closer and bowed, "W-What commands do you have, Senior?"
"What mountain range is this? What cities are nearby?" Xu Chuan asked.
The youth did not dare to hide anything and hurriedly replied, "To answer Senior, this is the Bone Wasteland Mountain Range, located on the southwestern edge of the Greedy Wolf Prefecture.
About nine hundred miles to the east is Bone Wasteland City, which is considered the largest cultivator gathering place in this region.
About three thousand miles to the south is the Mountain and Sea City of Greedy Wolf Prefecture."
"The Bone Wasteland Mountain Range... Bone Wasteland City... Mountain and Sea City."
Xu Chuan muttered softly, already forming a clear picture in his mind.
It was a bit more remote than expected, but it was fine. A distance of three thousand miles wouldn't take too long to cover.
"Mm, scram, all of you," Xu Chuan waved his hand.
The youth felt as if he had been granted a grand pardon, kowtowing repeatedly, "Thank you, Senior, for sparing my life!"
Then, without looking back, he turned into a dark streak of light and darted away. The rest of the Ancient Nether City group followed him, flying toward the northern horizon.
Seeing this, the four from the Sima Family fled toward the west.
They were terrified that if they were even a step too slow, these two Golden Core demonic figures might change their minds.
In the blink of an eye, only Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian were left in the valley.
"Father, why didn't you kill them?"
Xu Mingxian asked curiously. He certainly didn't believe his father was the merciful type.
"Bait has its purpose," Xu Chuan smiled. "Wait here for a moment while I go transplant that Blood Flame Flower."
"Yes, Father."
Xu Mingxian understood Xu Chuan's intention; he had let them go on purpose.
Even though they had been bullied by Golden Core cultivators, they all came from the top powers of Greedy Wolf Prefecture. How could they simply let the matter rest?
As for seeking revenge?
Unless a Nascent Soul expert came in person, anyone else would just be serving themselves up on a silver platter to Xu Chuan.
Xu Chuan's figure blurred, vanishing into thin air as he entered the Xu Clan's Grotto-heaven.
He transplanted the thousand-year-old Blood Flame Flower into the grotto-heaven's medicinal garden, nourishing it slightly with the power of life force to ensure its vitality.
Afterward, he swiftly returned to the outside world.
"Father, that grotto-heaven is truly wondrous. No matter where you go, you can enter it with a single thought. If only there came a day when all of us in the Xu family could do the same. How great would that be!"
"Perhaps that day will come," Xu Chuan smiled faintly, then added, "Let's go. To Mountain and Sea City."
The two transformed into a pair of inconspicuous streaks of light, shooting toward the southern horizon.
A little over two hours later.
The two entered Mountain and Sea City.
As for the groups from the Sima Family and Ancient Nether City that had fled far away, after confirming they had escaped a safe distance, they almost simultaneously stopped their flight.
Sima Yan's expression was as dark as murky water. Taking out a specially-made communication talisman, he ground his teeth and reported, "To the family: we encountered two unfamiliar Golden Core rogue cultivators in the Bone Wasteland Mountain Range who forcefully robbed us of our resources.
This includes a thousand-year Blood Flame Flower!
The two appeared as a middle-aged man and an old man, both at the Early-Stage Golden Core.
They are suspected to be heading toward Bone Wasteland City or Mountain and Sea City!"
On the other side, the group from Ancient Nether City did the exact same thing.
The demonic path factions in Greedy Wolf Prefecture were deeply entrenched and fiercely competitive. They operated on the principle that the weak are meat for the strong to eat, striving to avenge every wrong.
Being looted in such a manner by two Golden Core rogue cultivators who seemingly had no background was not just a loss of resources for the Sima Family and Ancient Nether City—it was a total disgrace.
The news quickly spread through their respective channels, stirring up quite a storm around the Bone Wasteland Mountain Range.
Meanwhile, Xu Chuan and Xu Mingxian settled into an inn in Mountain and Sea City.
Afterward, he sent a message to Xiao Zhan.
In just an incense stick's time, Xiao Zhan appeared before them.
Looking at Xu Chuan's appearance, though surprised, the connection through the soul restriction confirmed the man's identity without a doubt.
This plain-looking middle-aged cultivator standing before him was the master he served.
"Greetings, Revered Lord," Xiao Zhan bowed respectfully.
"No need for formalities." Xu Chuan carefully scanned him with his divine sense and said in surprise, "Your divine ability has reached Great Accomplishment?"
"It is all thanks to the Connate Spirit Object bestowed by the Revered Lord."
"That was something you obtained yourselves."
"Everything obtained by the Demonic Heaven Chamber of Commerce belongs to the Revered Lord. Only what the Revered Lord grants us becomes ours!"
"You've become much more slick over the years," Xu Chuan commented indifferently.
Beside him, Xu Mingxian was secretly astonished.
He never expected his father to have silently established such a force in Greedy Wolf Prefecture.
Back in Cloudstream City, he had heard Ye Fan mention the name of the Demonic Heaven Chamber of Commerce.
Its development was incredibly rapid. The chamber boasted over ten Golden Core cultivators, led by the Late-Stage Golden Core Xiao Zhan. It was already the absolute top power in Greedy Wolf Prefecture right below the 'One Sect, One City, Three Aristocratic Families'.
If they continued at this pace, catching up to the Three Great Families—Sima, Nie, and Chao—was only a matter of time.
"That's faster than I imagined. It seems your divine ability wasn't far from Great Accomplishment the last time I saw you?"
"I dare not hide it from the Revered Lord, that was indeed the case."
Xu Chuan chuckled lightly, "Breaking through is a good thing, but it makes me feel a bit embarrassed. Last time, I promised to gift you a high-grade magic treasure once your divine ability reached Great Accomplishment.
However, it has barely been two years, and I have yet to acquire a metal-element high-grade magic treasure flying sword."
"This subordinate also did not expect to see the Revered Lord so quickly. As for the high-grade magic treasure, please do not mind it, Revered Lord."
Xu Chuan raised his hand to stop him from continuing, "This is a matter concerning my word. I might not have a high-grade magic treasure flying sword, but I will give you an item that should be of considerable help to you."
Saying this, he stroked the storage ring on his hand. A fist-sized snow-white skull flew out, radiating a fierce and malevolent aura.
Seeing it, Xu Mingxian was startled, 'This item is definitely not weaker than a Late-Stage Golden Core cultivator!'
"This is the secret method to control it. Keep it in mind," Xu Chuan transmitted his voice via his divine sense.
"This entity is difficult to deal with. While it cannot directly elevate your own strength, as long as you drive it, you can easily contend against a Late-Stage Golden Core or even an ordinary Golden Core Perfection cultivator."
"Thank you, Revered Lord," Xiao Zhan bowed deeply.
"In the future, when I obtain a metal-element high-grade magic treasure flying sword, I will come back to retrieve this skull. Pay attention, do not feed it with flesh, blood, or soul. You are only driving it, not refining it.
If it reaches the peak of the third-tier while I am not around, it is highly prone to suffer a backlash."
"This subordinate will keep that in mind."
"Next, let's talk about official business," Xu Chuan said. "I intend to build a grand teleportation array to deepen the connection between the chamber of commerce and my Cloudstream City.
This way, I can stay updated on matters concerning Greedy Wolf Prefecture in a timely manner and make necessary arrangements."
"A grand teleportation array?"
Xiao Zhan exclaimed in shock. Throughout the entire Northwest Region, the number of people capable of setting up such a grand array could be counted on one's fingers. As for teleportation arrays capable of crossing prefectures, he had only heard of such experts existing in the Profound Moon Prefecture.
"Choose a safe, hidden underground location and follow his arrangements to establish the teleportation array."
"Yes, Revered Lord."
Xu Chuan thought for a moment. He then rested his palm on Xu Mingxian, casting a disguise over him to make him look like a big-bearded middle-aged man, and said flatly, "Earlier, we took the storage pouches from a few Foundation Establishment juniors of the Sima Family and Ancient Nether City.
If those two factions come looking, deal with them first. Only tell them the location after the work on the teleportation array is finished."
"Revered Lord, you want to... This subordinate understands." Xiao Zhan immediately cupped his fists.
Xu Mingxian then left with him, while Xu Chuan remained to cultivate in silence.
He estimated that this matter would take at least a month or two to conclude.
Several days later.
As expected, Golden Core cultivators from Ancient Nether City and the Sima Family successively arrived at Mountain and Sea City.
However, Mountain and Sea City was now the territory of the Demonic Heaven Chamber of Commerce, and its power was nothing to scoff at. Therefore, the cultivators from the two factions didn't dare to cause trouble recklessly.
After Gu Xuanyou broke through to the Nascent Soul stage and returned to Ancient Nether City, only a handful of people knew of his breakthrough.
He continued consolidating his realm while quietly biding his time.
Mountain and Sea City, the City Lord's Mansion.
The Bloody-Handed Scholar, dressed in the azure robes of a scholar with a refined appearance and long, clean fingers, sat elegantly in the main seat. He listened as the elders of the two factions recounted their encounters in the Bone Wasteland Mountain Range.
"Such a thing actually happened?" the Bloody-Handed Scholar said after listening, gently patting his hands with a shocked expression. "Those two rogue cultivators are truly audacious, daring to offend both Ancient Nether City and the Sima Family at the same time.
Rest assured, Daoist friends. Since Mountain and Sea City is governed by our Demonic Heaven Chamber of Commerce, we naturally will not tolerate such madmen disturbing the peace.
I will shortly arrange for people to search the entire city for their whereabouts.
If we discover any traces of suspicious Golden Core cultivators matching your description, we will definitely notify you immediately."
The representative from Ancient Nether City was a female Golden Core elder wearing a black veil and radiating a chilling aura. Hearing this, she nodded slightly, "Daoist friend Bloody-Handed is deeply righteous. Ancient Nether City thanks you in advance.
Those two are not weak. If there is any news, you must notify us."
The Golden Core elder of the Sima Family had a face full of fierce flesh. He spoke in a muffled, heavy voice, "We will entrust this matter to your Demonic Heaven Chamber of Commerce!
If you can dig out those two rats, our Sima Family will definitely reward you heavily!"
"It is our duty, there's no need to talk about heavy rewards," the Bloody-Handed Scholar smiled and cupped his hands. "You two Daoist friends must be exhausted from your long journey. Why not rest in the city for a while? I will have someone arrange..."
"That won't be necessary," the female elder from Ancient Nether City politely declined. "It is inconvenient for us to stay for long."
"Very well. If you need anything, you can come find me at any time."
The Bloody-Handed Scholar didn't insist, personally walking the two groups out of the mansion gates.
After leaving the City Lord's Mansion, the people from Ancient Nether City and the Sima Family did not leave immediately. Instead, they dispersed and used their own channels and informants to conduct a secret search within Mountain and Sea City.
They investigated for several days, but to no avail.
There wasn't the slightest trace of anyone matching the descriptions reported by their subordinates.
To avoid being discovered by the Demonic Heaven Chamber of Commerce, they had no choice but to leave.
The Demonic Heaven Chamber of Commerce had also mobilized personnel to look for the culprits.
But this so-called 'search assistance' was nothing more than putting on an act and going through the motions.
"Elder Bloody-Handed, the disciples of Ancient Nether City and the Sima Family have all left."
"Understood. You may step down."
"Yes, Elder."
After the chamber disciple left, the corners of Elder Bloody-Handed's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a mocking smile. "Wanting to find traces of our chamber's Revered Lord within the territory of the Demonic Heaven Chamber of Commerce... how ridiculous!
Offending his venerable self just means you're utterly out of luck!"