Deep in the mountains, ripples spread through the void like water. A burly man slowly emerged from them. His eyes swept across the forest, filled with curiosity.

"Just a cover, huh..." Lin Zheyu murmured to himself.

After following the two youths inside, he felt no resistance at all.

The moment he stepped in, a flying sword shot toward him. Lin Zheyu frowned and shifted slightly, letting it skim past him.

"You followed us?" The young man glared coldly at Lin Zheyu, eyes full of vigilance. That strike had only been a probe, not his full strength, and carried a clear warning.

"You jest, Fellow Daoist. What do you mean by following you?" Lin Zheyu said with a smile, shaking his head, though a dangerous aura flickered in his eyes.

He was not one for slaughter, but if the two failed to recognize danger, he would not mind disposing of them.

The man snorted, watching Lin Zheyu closely. "Hmph! Junior sister, activate the formation!"

Lin Zheyu shrugged and took a small step back, signaling no hostility. After all, he had indeed followed them here. His gaze fell on the young woman as he watched her methods for activating the formation with curiosity. Seeing him stare, the man's expression grew colder. He shifted slightly, blocking Lin Zheyu's view. The move left Lin Zheyu speechless.

"Senior Brother, it's ready!"

The woman placed a spirit stone into a slot beside the formation. Spirit power flowed from it and circulated through the formation.

Faint glimmers lit up across the formation, and strands of strange fluctuations appeared in the void.

"Move!" the man said in a low voice.

As his words fell, light burst forth and engulfed them. A surge of spatial fluctuations followed, and the two figures vanished from Lin Zheyu's sight.

"Incredible. Truly incredible!" Lin Zheyu exclaimed.

With his Perception Domain pushed to its limits, the fluctuations from the formation's activation were clearly reproduced in his mind at close range. In some respects, the Perception Domain was even stronger than spiritual sense. Combined, they allowed Lin Zheyu to perceive details others could not and sense deeper rhythms of the Dao.

The Blazing Sun Saber swept through the void at an extremely slow speed, yet it carried a dangerous aura. Faint spatial fluctuations spread out, then quickly faded.

"Hm?" Lin Zheyu exclaimed in surprise.

He had just gleaned something intriguing from the spatial fluctuations of the teleportation formation. A spark of insight struck him, and he tried applying it to his saber technique. A casual attempt produced this result.

"What a pity... it's too weak. Its power is even less than the effects of true origin. Still, the Perception Domain is unexpectedly powerful. It can perceive the void fluctuations from a teleportation formation this clearly," Lin Zheyu said with delight.

This was something he had never expected. The spatial fluctuations released when a teleportation formation activated were extremely faint, and he could barely sense them. Yet even such weak traces had given him insight. If it were a space-time node connected to a Yao Demon Nest, the fluctuations would surely be far more intense. The spatial laws he could comprehend would be even stronger.

Lin Zheyu tested it a few more times. The spatial fluctuations grew slightly stronger, but still fell short. He shook his head and stopped. The faint fluctuations from a teleportation formation were not enough. If he wanted to create a powerful attack of his own, he needed to comprehend stronger void fluctuations.

With a flick of his hand, a spirit stone appeared in his palm. He stepped into the formation and, imitating the woman from before, set it into a slot at the edge. True origin flowed into the stone, drawing out its energy and channeling it into the formation. The true origin only served as a trigger. Once the energy was drawn out from the spirit stone, it no longer required his control.

"Mm, the void fluctuations inside the formation are much stronger!" Lin Zheyu's eyes lit up.

He pushed his Perception Domain and spiritual sense to their limits, carefully sensing the powerful fluctuations as the formation operated. Before he could gain any insight, a strange sensation struck. His mind blurred, and violent spatial fluctuations surged. In an instant, the surroundings changed completely. The desolate forest vanished, replaced by a bustling plaza. The ground was paved with bluestone, worn and moss-covered with the marks of time. Tall, grand pavilions surrounded the square.

At the center stood a fountain, where spirit fish would occasionally leap out, glide through the air for a moment, then drop back into the water. As soon as he arrived, Lin Zheyu felt an inexplicable sense of relief. The Baleful Yin force in the air was almost nonexistent, though the spirit power was equally thin, barely perceptible. Without the constant erosion of Baleful Yin force, a sense of ease rose within him.

Even someone with poor aptitude like me feels relieved here. Those with high natural talent must find the mortal world unbearable, Lin Zheyu thought to himself.

He looked around with curiosity. It was more prosperous than any mortal black market, filled with commoners and many martial artists with strong blood qi. He had expected a small market, but it looked like a thriving town.

"My Lord, are you here to buy or sell? I can guide you." A young man approached as soon as he stepped out of the formation, speaking respectfully.

"No need," Lin Zheyu said calmly.

He walked past without sparing him a glance. The youth's aura was extremely weak, likely only at the Marrow Refining realm among martial artists. Still, immortal cultivators relied on more than personal strength. Dharma artifacts and divine abilities greatly influenced combat power. Judging by his appearance, he likely had neither wealth nor strong dharma artifacts.

Lin Zheyu strolled through the plaza. The two youths were already gone. Here, he did not dare use his divine sense or Perception Domain freely, lest he offend some hidden expert. Probing others without restraint was highly improper. Even so, with his current strength, he could gauge most weaker cultivators at a glance at close range. Like a mortal black market, the place was divided into stalls and shops.

Lin Zheyu wandered the market as if nothing were amiss. As he walked, he quietly observed how cultivators bargained and the prices of common artifacts and herbs. The market was extremely lively. It felt less like a market and more like a massive entertainment hub. It had everything. Restaurants, pleasure houses, gambling halls, beast arenas, and even venues for cultivator duels.

"Young master, come have some fun!"

A scantily dressed woman called out warmly as he passed Fengming Courtyard.

Her voice carried a seductive tone that was hard to resist, sending a tingling sensation through the body. Paired with her alluring gaze, it was difficult to pull away.

"Is it free?" Lin Zheyu asked with a smile. His arm shifted slightly. It felt quite soft.

At his question, disgust flashed across her face, and all her charm vanished at once. "Get lost. A poor man wandering around."

"She's actually a cultivator. Could she be practicing some dual cultivation technique, like those from the Pleasure Sect?" Lin Zheyu watched her retreat with interest.

Her strength was not high, likely only at the third or fourth stage of the Qi Refining realm. Perhaps due to her technique, even Lin Zheyu had felt a flicker of temptation. But once he sensed her weakness, the desire vanished at once. Sometimes, being too strong was a nuisance.

After the small interlude, Lin Zheyu continued wandering. The market was well ordered. From shopkeepers and vendors, he learned that it was established by the Soaring Cloud Pavilion, and its cultivators maintained order. The Soaring Cloud Pavilion ranked among the top three trading houses in Great Wei's cultivation world. It was powerful enough that few dared cause trouble here.

Almost all shops in the market were run by the Soaring Cloud Pavilion. Only a few belonged to other esteemed families or sects. Smaller forces and independent cultivators mostly rented small stalls.

It seems the cultivation world is not as desolate as I imagined. It's still thriving, Lin Zheyu thought after making a round.

Because of the emergence of Baleful Yin force, immortal cultivators rarely appeared in the mortal world. Yet within blessed lands and grotto heavens, the Immortal Dao remained strong. There was no sign of decline. After his first round, Lin Zheyu only gained a general understanding of the market. He entered a nearby restaurant and took a secluded seat.

The restaurant was crowded, and almost all of the customers were immortal cultivators, each emitting faint spirit power. Lin Zheyu looked around and found fewer at the Foundation Establishment realm than expected. Perhaps one in ten. He let out a quiet breath. This meant his strength placed him at least in the upper middle tier here.

"Sir, what would you like to order?" A waiter approached as soon as he sat down.

Lin Zheyu glanced at the menu and clicked his tongue at the prices. Dishes started at one bottle of spirit liquid, some costing two or three spirit stones. Truly, the cultivation world, where prices were measured in spirit liquid. He picked cheaper dishes totaling about two spirit stones and ordered a spirit wine worth one stone. Since he was here, he might as well try it.

The restaurant was lively. Lin Zheyu quietly expanded his Perception Domain, avoiding those who might be powerful, and covering only cultivators below the Foundation Establishment realm.

After a few breaths, Lin Zheyu relaxed slightly. Good, he had not been detected. Cultivators who could easily detect his Perception Domain, like that person before, seemed rare. He also possessed spiritual sense and had tested it himself.

Spiritual sense could not detect the Perception Domain, let alone trace it back to him. He was very curious about how that person had discovered him back then. Unfortunately, the man had escaped. Otherwise, he could have interrogated him and learned the method to guard against it.