NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35: The Green Mountain Seal
Setting the announcement down, He Song glanced at Wei Fan, who was also frowning beside him.
Just moments earlier, a cultivator from the Immortal Market’s Enforcement Squad had delivered the notice. The two read it together and were greeted by the glaring rows of blood-red characters spelling out “death.”
Over the past few days, although He Song and Wei Fan had not stepped out of their courtyard, they were both cultivators with many connections.
Through these connections, despite remaining indoors, they had received a steady flow of updates about the outside world.
As such, they were fairly informed about what was happening beyond their doorstep.
“As expected, the moment True Master Chengshan left, chaos descended upon the Immortal Market,” Wei Fan sighed, seated at the table with a hint of complexity in his gaze.
He had many friends. Beyond the small circle he shared with He Song and Meng Guan, he also maintained connections with other individuals.
These acquaintances included wandering cultivators and residents of the Immortal Market, all of whom had interacted with him in his capacity as a steward of the Spirit Builder Pavilion.
Now that chaos had erupted in the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, Wei Fan couldn’t help but wonder whether these friends of his could survive the turmoil.
But the thought quickly passed, replaced by a bitter smile as he shook his head.
His abilities were limited, and he could only protect those closest to him. As for his other friends, he hadn’t even thought to warn them, not before the chaos and certainly not now that it had begun.
What use was there in dwelling on it now?
Wei Fan dismissed the thought.
Like He Song, he was no saint, willing to risk his life for strangers.
He would only lend a hand when he had the ability to do so and only when it wouldn’t endanger himself—reserved solely for his closest companions.
He Song and Meng Guan were prime examples.
The three of them had quickly formed a small circle precisely because of this shared mindset.
Neither Wei Fan, He Song, nor Meng Guan were the type to play the martyr. They only extended help to those closest to them when they were capable and safe in doing so.
Perhaps it was this shared practicality that made the three of them get along so well.
As for everyone else?
“What do they have to do with me?” Wei Fan thought to himself.
“The evil cultivators are running rampant. For now, we should avoid stepping outside. We’ll wait until True Master Chengshan returns or until the Vast Earth Sect sends another Foundation Establishment cultivator to take his place,” He Song suggested after some thought, his expression serious.
He had no idea what Wei Fan was thinking at that moment.
His only goal was to maximize their safety, which was why he proposed staying indoors.
Wei Fan, accustomed to He Song’s cautious nature, naturally agreed without hesitation.
Thus, despite reading the public notice, neither of them ventured out to investigate.
Instead, they remained indoors, continuing to wait quietly as they had over the past few days.
Day Five
He Song and Wei Fan stayed home once again.
The previous night, many wandering cultivators living on the outskirts of the Immortal Market heard intense sounds of battle.
The clashes of artifacts being wielded.
The surging energy from spells being cast.
The angry shouts of cultivators locked in combat.
And mixed in were eerie noises—cackling laughter and bursts of chilling, malevolent energy—that left countless low-level cultivators trembling in fear within their homes.
Only a few bold and skilled individuals dared step outside to investigate.
Of course, whether these people were truly investigating or using the chaos as an opportunity to loot was anyone’s guess.
Most of those who ventured out didn’t return.
By the time daylight broke, only then did the weaker cultivators dare to open their doors and emerge from their rooms.
The cultivators who cautiously stepped outside the next morning were immediately stunned by the scene before them.
Corpses littered the streets, scattered in disarray.
Among the dead were members of the Enforcement Squad and hooded, black-clad figures.
But the majority were ordinary wandering cultivators—those who had dared to leave the safety of their homes.
By midday, the Enforcement Squad arrived to recover the bodies of their own. As for the others, no one dared to touch them, leaving the streets eerily covered in the abandoned dead.
Day Six
He Song and Wei Fan stayed indoors as usual.
The previous night, no intense clashes had occurred in the outer areas of the Immortal Market.
Yet the oppressive atmosphere had only deepened, spreading fear among the cultivators living on the outskirts.
Some tried to flee, but their bodies were soon found discarded by the roadside.
Others attempted to hide, but within the Immortal Market, there was no place truly safe to retreat to.
Still others tried to move into the inner circle of the Immortal Market, but without registered residences, they were swiftly driven back by the Enforcement Squad.
Word spread quickly among those in the know: the outer circle of the Immortal Market had been abandoned.
After suffering heavy losses during the brutal clashes two nights earlier, the Enforcement Squad had been forced to retreat and consolidate their defenses within the inner circle.
Now, the outer circle was completely undefended.
The wandering cultivators and even the market’s own personnel living in the abandoned zone could do little but leave their fate to chance, praying they wouldn’t draw the attention of the evil cultivators.
The entire outer circle of the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market was effectively forsaken.
Day Seven
He Song and Wei Fan remained within their courtyard.
The previous night, the evil cultivators had launched another assault, this time against the Enforcement Squad’s defenses in the inner circle.
The battle was fierce, and while the Enforcement Squad suffered significant losses, their position held thanks to the intervention of several late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators residing within the inner circle.
By morning, the evil cultivators had retreated.
However, news from the outer circle had completely ceased.
He Song and Wei Fan, still holed up in their courtyard, had lost all contact with the outer areas.
The fate of the cultivators living there was grimly apparent.
Day Eight
He Song and Wei Fan continued their vigilant isolation, constantly monitoring for any changes in the outside world.
The Enforcement Squad, already crippled from the previous battles, was on the brink of collapse.
If the evil cultivators attacked again and the late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators chose not to assist, the inner defenses would likely crumble.
Yet, as the day stretched on, the silence outside became eerie, as if the entire Immortal Market had turned into a ghostly dead zone.
The stillness was unnerving, a stark contrast to the turmoil of previous days.
Suddenly—
“You vermin! Seeking death!”
A thunderous roar boomed from the distant skies, shaking He Song and Wei Fan to their cores.
The two exchanged glances, startled, and hurried to the window to look outside.
Around the Immortal Market, curious cultivators poked their heads out from their homes, gazing toward the source of the commotion.
Far away, high in the sky—
A figure clad in a yellowish-brown robe hovered above the Immortal Market, his expression stormy and his fury almost tangible.
It was True Master Chengshan.
True Master Chengshan’s gaze swept over the devastated Immortal Market below him, his face livid with rage. His eyes burned with fury, threatening to ignite the air around him.
As the overseer assigned to protect the Bamboo Mountain Immortal Market, this mess fell squarely on his shoulders.
He had left only a few days ago to respond to a distress signal from the Crimson Spirit Gold Mine.
But in the short time he was away, the once-thriving Immortal Market had descended into chaos and ruin.
As the person responsible for its defense, how could he escape blame?
Now, staring at the ruins of his once-orderly domain, True Master Chengshan’s anger was matched only by his desperation.
Clenching his hand, he let out a sharp breath—and the cultivators watching from below quickly understood why he bore the name Chengshan (Mountain Bearer).
Under countless gazes—
True Master Chengshan raised his hand and flung something into the air.
A small, mountain-shaped seal soared from his palm, growing larger as it ascended.
It was the Green Mountain Seal.