Half a month had passed since the Golden Core battle in the inner city. Such a long time was enough to wash away most of the cultivators' fear. However, the possibility of treasures left behind after the battle had quickly erased any lingering fear, replaced by overwhelming greed. Luo Chen stood at a distance, leading the experts of Luo Tian Society’s Battle Hall, gazing at the city now shrouded in eerie ghostly energy. "Golden Core cultivators came and went, yet in the end, all that remains for rogue cultivators is a ghost city." He sighed softly, watching as three late stage Qi-Refining rogue cultivators ventured into the inner city together. "How many groups have entered now?" Beside him, Zhou Yuanli respectfully replied, "The Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion has restricted access to just one city gate for easier management. In the past half-month, this is the seventeenth batch of rogue cultivators to enter. "And what happened to the previous sixteen groups?" Luo Chen asked. Zhou Yuanli shook his head. "There has been no response from any of them." Luo Chen furrowed his brows, a sense of unease creeping into his heart. The three Ghost Kings had indeed been slain by Pang Renxiong before his death. However, after their deaths, all of their ghostly essence had remained in Dahe Market's inner city. These were Ghost Kings comparable to Golden Core cultivators! Under normal circumstances, even a single Ghost King could have easily wiped out a city like Dahe Market. Now, with the essence of all three Ghost Kings lingering within, the place had transformed into a ghost abyss. At this point, it was practically a forbidden zone for the living. Brother Wang has gone into seclusion, saying he needs to perfect a ghost-warding technique before entering the city to search for treasures. Right now, Luo Tian Society lacks any top-tier battle prowess to hold its ground, which puts us in an awkward position. Luo Chen’s gaze swept across the surroundings, pausing briefly on certain cultivators. Those were subordinates of Foundation Establishment forces. Now that the Jade Cauldron Sword Pavilion had fallen and Luo Tian Society’s backing, Miao Wen, was missing—his fate unknown—these people had suddenly become a threat once again. The only reason the major Foundation Establishment forces hadn't made a move yet was because they feared becoming a common enemy. They were wary of other Foundation Establishment factions taking action against them and also feared that the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect might send new cultivators to make an example out of them. But Luo Chen knew that this fragile peace would eventually be shattered and he would never allow himself to become someone else's alchemy tool again. Thus, he had no intention of leaving Dahe Market to report to the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect. Pang Renxiong was dead—what reason did he have to go there now? Not only would it be a waste of time traveling there, but there was no guarantee he would have any personal freedom once inside the sect. Comparatively, if he worked hard on his own, his cultivation speed wouldn't fall too far behind. Most importantly, this was the path he truly wanted to take! As Luo Chen was lost in thought, a sudden commotion erupted ahead. Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned toward the source of the noise. Within the inner city, a flickering spirit light struggled to advance against the thick ghostly energy. A few breaths later... The glowing figure finally emerged from the city. "He actually survived! Not only that, but even the dozen Qi-Refining cultivators from Treasure Pavilion are unharmed." As the spirit light fully revealed itself, it turned out to be a flying boat. The one leading the group was none other than the Foundation Establishment Master of Treasure Pavilion, Old Chu—a familiar face to all the rogue cultivators in Dahe Market. As soon as he exited the city, Old Chu waved his hand. Seven Qi-Refining cultivators were swept off the flying boat. "I have done my part. Our ties end here." With those words, the flying boat glowed again and, in an instant, transformed into a streak of light, vanishing into the horizon. At the same time, several other streaks of light shot up from various locations outside Dahe Market, pursuing Old Chu. It was likely that the leaders of various Foundation Establishment forces had gone to question him about the inner city's situation. Luo Chen didn’t have the standing to do the same, but there were still people here he could question. With a wave of his hand, Sima Xian led a group of men out of the crowd, heading straight for the seven cultivators left behind by Old Chu. They all knew that these seven were not from the sects of Tianfan City but rather local rogue cultivators hired by the Tianfan City-affiliated Treasure Pavilion. Among them were five women and two men. Not long after, relying on his late stage Qi-Refining cultivation and a squad of Battle Hall cultivators, Sima Xian had brought back one of the male cultivators for Luo Chen. Without the protection of the Treasure Pavilion, the man had lost all his former arrogance. His face was pale as he hurriedly nodded. "What do you know about the battle in the inner city?" "Absolutely nothing." "Senior, I truly don’t know anything!" Luo Chen raised an eyebrow—this was the first time someone had ever called him "Senior." Of course, that wasn’t the important part. He asked doubtfully, "You don’t know anything, yet you survived?" Li Wanchun answered bitterly, "All I know is that there were no customers in the shop at the time, and then a powerful pressure swept over me, knocking me unconscious. When I woke up, the Treasure Pavilion’s defensive formation had already been activated. We held on for half a month until Old Chu brought us out." "You all?" Luo Chen’s mind stirred. "Yes, the disciples from Treasure Pavilion, along with a few of us local rogue cultivators—we all made it out alive." "Not even a scratch?" After answering several questions in succession, Li Wanchun’s nerves had settled somewhat. He quickly nodded. "Indeed, we were unharmed. Treasure Pavilion had plenty of resources, a strong protective formation, and Old Chu’s experience to guide us. We were well taken care of and didn’t suffer any injuries. However..." With a wry smile, he added, "It’s just that Old Chu said Treasure Pavilion in Dahe Market won’t be reopening anytime soon, so he dismissed us all." Luo Chen frowned, thinking it would be something more significant. Just as he was feeling disappointed, another commotion erupted ahead. Looking up, he saw four graceful figures slowly emerging from the eerie ghostly abyss. "More people are coming out?" Luo Chen perked up, hoping to gather some useful information from this group. However, the outcome was disappointing. The four charming figures vanished into streaks of light the moment they stepped out of the city. Only one figure remained—an imposing and arrogant presence. Without so much as a glance at the cultivators outside, he let out a cold snort before riding a cloud away into the sky. Only after he left did the stifling atmosphere become lively again. "That was Senior Hua from Tianxiang Tower, wasn’t it?" "That’s right, it was definitely him." "But where are the other female cultivators from Tianxiang Tower?" "Yeah, not a single one of them came out." "Hiss... Could it be that they all perished inside?" That last remark, initially just a murmur amidst the chatter, quickly became the focus of discussion. Everyone had to face the grim reality—what was once Dahe Market’s most vibrant pleasure house had likely suffered complete annihilation, save for that one Foundation Establishment cultivator. Those four alluring figures from earlier weren’t real people at all but rather some kind of enchanted artifact or enchanted treasure. The only one who truly emerged was Hua Foundation Establishment cultivator. The thought of so many charming and beautiful female cultivators perishing in the ghost-infested city sent shivers down everyone's spine. "That senior... isn't he being too—" "A Foundation Establishment Initiate is not someone we can casually discuss." Even though the conversations quieted down, the expressions of shared sorrow and helplessness remained evident on everyone's faces. By the afternoon, when cultivators from Divine Talisman Pavilion, Spirit Source Pavilion, Spirit Herb Pavilion, and the Hall of Hundred Herbs had gradually emerged, everyone had to accept the grim reality—Tianxiang Tower had suffered near-total annihilation. Even Spirit Source Pavilion, notorious for its harsh treatment of its own cultivators, had at least brought out two local rogue cultivators. This only highlighted how utterly heartless that Hua Foundation Establishment cultivator from Tianxiang Tower was. There was no reason that every other major sect-affiliated shop could protect its own workers, yet Tianxiang Tower, under the Hehuan Sect, had failed to do the same. Forget about the local rogue cultivators—even an inner-sect disciple from the Hehuan Sect, who had accompanied the Hua Foundation Establishment cultivator, was nowhere to be seen. Among the crowd, Luo Chen respectfully approached an elderly man. "Senior Liu, greetings!" "Ah, Little Luo! I still prefer you calling me Shopkeeper," Liu Hecai said with a smile, stroking his beard. Luo Chen nodded and began, "Shopkeeper Liu, I wanted to ask about Bai—" "Apologies, she was with the Hall of Hundred Herbs. I was in the Spirit Herb Pavilion at the time. And as for the Hall of Hundred Herbs..." Following Liu Hecai’s regretful gaze, Luo Chen turned his head. Beside the Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Hall of Hundred Herbs, there was no one—utterly deserted. The newly arrived Foundation Establishment cultivator was just as heartless as the one from Tianxiang Tower, having not protected a single member of the Hall of Hundred Herbs. Luo Chen opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words. An overwhelming sense of emptiness filled his heart. "If fate allows, we shall meet again." Liu Hecai patted Luo Chen’s shoulder, then called over a few disciples from the Medicine King Sect and took off on a flying boat, leaving Dahe Market. After Liu Hecai left, Luo Chen gazed at the eerie, ghostly city before him. A deep sorrow surfaced in his eyes. When catastrophe struck, others were ultimately unreliable. He understood this truth—many people did. Yet, a friend had perished in that ghostly city, and even though he had mentally prepared for such a loss, accepting it was still difficult. Zhou Yuanli wasn’t sure how close Bai Meiling and Luo Chen had been. He stepped forward and whispered, "Li Wanchun has agreed to join Luo Tian Society. A few local rogue cultivators from the Spirit Herb Pavilion and Hall of Hundred Herbs have stayed behind as well—should we recruit them? Luo Chen waved his hand listlessly. Memories of every visit to the Hall of Hundred Herbs flashed through his mind. That lively and chatty female cultivator was gone—just like that. At times, she had carried the same inexplicable pride as other female cultivators working under major sect-affiliated shops. But once one got to know her, she was genuinely kind at heart. Whenever he went to buy medicinal herbs, she would always pick out the best ones for him. The last time Qin Liangchen needed herbs for his limb reattachment, Bai Meiling had gone out of her way to select only the finest ingredients, sparing no effort. She had even gotten into trouble for it. Luo Chen hadn't known at the time—Feng Xia had later told him about it in private. Ever since, he had carried a sense of guilt and had been meaning to find time to properly treat Bai Meiling to a meal as a gesture of gratitude. But now, that opportunity was gone forever. "Fellow Daoist Li Wanchun, since you’re skilled in crafting enchanted artifacts, why not join my Duan family and put your talents to good use?" A bold and open recruitment call suddenly rang in his ears. Luo Chen abruptly turned his head!