The man was handsome, the woman alluring. Their voices were gentle, like a warm spring breeze that made people subconsciously obey their commands.

Besides, there were armored Soldiers eyeing them menacingly from the side.

However, among the people leaving the city, besides Zhu Ju, there were clearly others who recognized the Immortal Sect’s emblem.

"They’re fiends from the Joyful Sect!"

"Everyone, run!"

A man broke through the crowd and lunged to the side, but judging by his Body Technique and speed, he was only at the Acquired Realm.

Zhu Ju was speechless.

’Trying to run when you know they’re from the Joyful Sect?’

The figure ran for several dozen feet and was about to dash into a narrow city alley when a rainbow-hued light descended from the sky.

WHOOSH!

The rainbow light flashed and vanished.

The fleeing figure suddenly stiffened. All the Skin and Flesh and vital blood in his body were drained away by some unseen force.

In his place, only a skeleton, posed mid-sprint, remained.

A cold wind blew.

CLATTER...

The skeleton swayed and collapsed into a pile on the ground.

GASP!

The scene was utterly horrifying. An uproar erupted from the crowd as they fell into chaos. Wang Jin’s face was also deathly pale.

He hastily turned to look at the "Immortal Master" who was all-powerful in his eyes, only to find that the man’s expression was just as grim.

Zhu Ju’s expression was grave.

’Dao Foundation!’

’A Dao Foundation Cultivator just acted.’

’A mere Acquired Realm mortal is like an ant to a Dao Foundation Cultivator. Why would they bother to kill him personally?’

’Unless...’

’They’re furious and need to vent their anger and resentment, and that man just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.’

"Sigh!"

The man and woman from the Joyful Sect looked at each other and sighed softly. The woman took out a conch-like Magical Artifact and placed it to her lips.

"Woooo..."

A strange sound swept across the entire area.

A numbing sensation washed over everyone, and the scene suddenly fell silent. Even the horses froze in place.

"Martial Uncle."

The man cupped his hands toward the sky.

"They’re just mortals, hardly suitable for kindling. Do we need to take them all?"

"Mm," a gender-ambiguous voice, shifting between male and female, replied from the rippling clouds above.

"Take them back to the encampment to fill the vacancies. Send these two to the Flower Workshop and see if any disciples need Furnace Tripods."

As the voice faded, two streams of light descended from the sky, wrapping around Zhu Ju and another person.

The light transformed into a red thread that tied itself around their wrists.

The thread was delicate, yet it seemed to possess an invisible power that instantly sealed all True Qi circulation within their bodies.

"Ngh!"

The person not far away let out a muffled grunt, his eyes filled with terror.

’Lin Han!’

The one receiving the same treatment as Zhu Ju was none other than the Innate Expert who had been disguised as a chef for the San Fen Hall branch.

"Oh?"

The Joyful Sect Female Cultivator’s beautiful eyes lit up.

"To think that two Innate experts were hiding in this backwater, and one of them isn’t even thirty."

She pointed at Zhu Ju and demanded:

"Such a young Innate Qi Refiner can’t possibly be a Loose Cultivator. Which Immortal Sect are you a disciple of?"

"..." Zhu Ju gave a wry smile, cupped his hands, and said:

"A disciple of the Bright Void Sect. Greetings, fellow Daoists."

"The Bright Void Sect?" The woman raised an eyebrow.

"What a coincidence. A few days ago, two female cultivators from your Sect were tricked away from Brother Zhang."

"What’s your name?"

"Zhu Ju." With the pressure of a Dao Foundation Cultivator bearing down on him, Zhu Ju had no choice but to answer honestly.

"Don’t be afraid," the Female Cultivator chuckled. She did nothing, yet she exuded the alluring charm of a siren, making a fire rise in one’s lower abdomen.

"We are different from other Demon Sects. To fall into our hands is to enjoy the greatest pleasures on earth, so much so that you’ll forget everything else."

"Let’s go!"

With a light wave of her sleeve, two colorful ribbons shot out, wrapped the two of them up tightly like rice dumplings, and tossed them into a carriage.

Zhu Ju struggled briefly before giving up his resistance.

’As long as that Dao Foundation Cultivator is around, resistance is meaningless.’

’Fortunately, they don’t seem to have discovered my secret. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have let me off so easily.’

’A Broken Seven Acupoints Innate cultivator in their twenties would be considered a Core True Inheritance disciple in any of the Major Immortal Sects.’

’Even a Dao Foundation Cultivator would be interested.’

’Since the Joyful Sect’s Dao Foundation expert above didn’t pay any attention, it means my disguise hasn’t been seen through.’

’They just see me as someone who has recently broken through to the Innate realm.’

’The Four Symbols Star Ban of my Profound Void Body should theoretically be able to deceive a Dao Foundation’s perception, not to mention I also have the Hidden Element Technique from the Magic World.’

’As long as a Dao Foundation Cultivator doesn’t send their True Essence into my body for a detailed inspection, my abnormality won’t be detected.’

’Unfortunately, even my Concealing Method can’t completely hide my Innate aura and make me appear to be a mortal.’

’I’m in deep trouble this time...’

’When Fann Ren cornered me, I could still use the Otherworld to turn the tables and kill him.’

’But that’s impossible to replicate against a Dao Foundation Cultivator. Never mind that I can only stay in the Otherworld for a month at most.’

’Even a year or ten years wouldn’t be enough!’

’Fortunately, just as that Female Cultivator said, falling into the hands of the Joyful Sect is better than other Demon Sects.’

’At least my life won’t be in immediate danger. As for the future...’

’I can only take it one step at a time.’

’However, as long as I can find an opportunity when the Dao Foundation Cultivator isn’t around, it shouldn’t be hard to escape using the Otherworld.’

THUD!

His body shuddered.

The carriage beneath him swayed and lifted into the air. Immediately after, a Divine Thought as powerful as a collapsing mountain and a raging tsunami swept over them.

Lin Han, beside him, let out a muffled groan and passed out immediately.

Zhu Ju also felt his Divine Soul tremble as his consciousness faded into a stupor. At some point, he too fell unconscious.

*

*

*

"Yuann Tong."

A figure leaped into the Cave Mansion.

The newcomer wore a green robe with a red sash. A Hair-Binding Gold Ring shone in her hair. She had bright eyes, pearly teeth, and skin so delicate it looked like it would break from a mere puff of air.

It was none other than Qii Yao, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Joyful Sect.

Fiddling with her sleeve ribbon, she approached the seated woman, who was meditating, with a wide grin.

"The Flower Workshop has new stock. Let’s go take a look together."

"No, thank you." Zhou Yuantong opened her eyes, a flicker of barely perceptible disgust flashing through her cold eyes.

"My Purifying Heart Technique has not yet reached Perfection. Using a Furnace Tripod for cultivation would disrupt my state of mind. You should go by yourself."

"Yuann Tong," Qii Yao sighed softly.

"You should know that since I’ve come to find you, I can’t possibly go alone. Master’s patience is limited."

Zhou Yuantong fell silent.

"Let’s go!" Qii Yao said coaxingly with a captivating smile.

"Just think of it as relaxing. As long as we go, we can give Master an explanation, just like the last few times."

"What can we do if there’s really no one in the Flower Workshop who catches our eye?"

She spread her hands, her beautiful eyes twinkling.

"Of course,"

"if you do happen to find a suitable Furnace Tripod for yourself, that would be for the best. Then I wouldn’t have to keep urging you every day."

"Alright," Zhou Yuantong sighed.

"I’ll just get ready."

"What’s there to get ready for?" Qii Yao grabbed her wrist and laughed.

"You’re a natural beauty, young and gorgeous. Your every frown and smile is a picturesque sight. You could charm the pants off those stinking men."

"Let’s go!"

With a light wave of her sleeve, a colorful ribbon appeared beneath their feet, carrying them as they floated out of the Cave Mansion and zipped toward the Flower Workshop.

...

SPLASH!

A basin of cold water was splashed on his face.

Zhu Ju shook his head, flinging off the water droplets, and looked around.

He was on a long, narrow street, flanked on both sides by two-story buildings that looked like shops, adorned with colorful silk ribbons.

Most of the pedestrians on the street were handsome men and beautiful women, all dressed in splendid attire. A faint, fragrant aroma also permeated the air.

He took a light sniff.

The fragrance entered his stomach, and an uncontrollable heat began to rise in his body. His breathing grew heavy.

’An Enchanting Fragrance that gets the blood pumping?’

’Hm?’

Only then did he realize he was locked in a cage. His upper garments had been completely stripped away, revealing a lean, well-muscled body.

’Where the hell have they brought me?’

CLANG...

A very stout woman holding a wooden staff tapped on the iron cage and shouted to the men and women on the street:

"Come one, come all, don’t miss out! This is prime goods, captured from the front lines! A disciple of a Righteous Immortal Sect!"

"Bone age under thirty, has currently broken through One Acupoint. Suitable as a Furnace Tripod for those in the Middle to Late-Stage Innate realm."

"And the key is!"

The woman grinned and said:

"This man’s Physical Body is powerful and he’s full of stamina. Any senior or junior sisters who buy him will surely be in for a treat."

"Enough with the nonsense," someone shouted.

"How much?"

"A bargain," the woman said.

"Ten Great Merits!"

"Too expensive," a stately matron shook her head.

"In the past, that might have been acceptable. But we’re not short on Innate Qi Refiners now. I’ll take him for six Great Merits."

"Senior Sister Huang," the stout woman laughed.

"With the great war upon us, an extra Furnace Tripod to draw from means an extra bit of power. The price should be even higher, if anything."

"The fact that I haven’t raised the price just shows what an honest businesswoman I am."

"Six Great Merits..."

"This one, however, might do!"

She turned and tapped on the cage on the other side. Inside was a middle-aged man with a blank expression.

It was Innate Lin Han, who had been captured along with Zhu Ju.

"Him?"

The stately matron looked disdainful.

"He’s over fifty, his Essence is in decline. He’s just a tough piece of gristle. You can keep your six Great Merits!"

"Yeah!" someone else yelled.

"Make it cheaper! I’ll buy him if it’s cheaper!"

The stout woman just smiled without a word, refusing to budge on the price.

After shouting for a while and seeing that she had no intention of lowering the price, they lost interest and left one by one.

Zhu Ju closed his eyes and silently assessed his current situation.

’As expected.’

’My storage pouch is gone.’

’Fortunately, a clever rabbit has three burrows. Ever since my time on Dragon Head Mountain, I’ve made it a habit to hide my best things in the Otherworld.’

’Besides.’

’In my Dantian and Sea of Consciousness, a Spiritual Light glimmers in each.’

’It’s normal that the things in my Sea of Consciousness weren’t taken. After all, even Dao Foundation Cultivators are extremely cautious when it comes to the Sea of Consciousness.’

’The Dantian...’

’Someone at the Late-Stage Innate realm would have a way to probe it.’

He didn’t know, however, that forcefully plundering a Dantian would ruin a Cultivator’s cultivation, making them worthless to sell.

This was usually only done to those with profound cultivation.

Furthermore, how could a newly advanced Innate Qi Refiner possibly have a treasure hidden in their Dantian?

After all, only High Grade Spiritual Artifacts could be nurtured in the Dantian, and such an artifact was definitely not something a One Acupoint Innate cultivator could possess.

Opening his eyes, Zhu Ju raised his hand and looked at his wrist.

"That’s the Charming Silk, something used to seal a Cultivator’s cultivation." The stout woman, who had found a piece of straw to chew on from somewhere, said with a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes:

"Don’t waste your energy. Only someone who has cultivated the Joyful Sect’s Cultivation Technique can undo it."

Zhu Ju lowered his wrist and asked:

"Where is this?"

"Young man, you’ve got a good attitude," the stout woman raised her eyebrows.

"Few people can remain so composed while being sold. I hope you manage to live a little longer."

"This is Wind Moon Valley, the headquarters of the Joyful Sect."

"Let me give you a piece of advice. Here, you have to be obedient to survive. But if you want to live a long time, you can’t be *too* obedient."

’Hm?’

’What does she mean by that?’

Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow slightly.

’Wind Moon Valley?’

His expression suddenly changed.

"The main headquarters of the Joyful Sect!"

As far as he knew, the Joyful Sect’s Wind Moon Valley was tens of thousands of miles away from the Ten Thousand Mountains.

"That’s right," the stout woman nodded.

"A Flying Ship just returned from the front, carrying a batch of cargo. You’re one of the items."

"Sigh."

"I paid a high price to acquire you lot. Don’t you dare end up as dead stock on my hands."

She shook her head and sighed, her face a picture of distress.

"Shopkeeper."

Just then, a woman with delicate features and lively eyes stopped in front of Zhu Ju’s iron cage, pointed, and said:

"How much is he?"

"Ah, it’s Senior Sister Muk!" The stout woman’s eyes lit up, and she said hurriedly:

"Ten Great Merits."

"Your junior sister here has been in the Furnace Tripod business for over twenty years and has handled countless men. I can tell you for a fact, this one is top-notch goods."

"His cultivation may not be high, but he’s excellent in all other aspects. It’s a bargain even if you just buy him to keep in your chambers for show."

"Ten Great Merits." Senior Sister Muk frowned slightly.

"A bit steep."

"Not at all, not at all." The stout woman gritted her teeth and stomped her foot decisively.

"Since Senior Sister Muk wants him, how could this junior sister not show you some respect? Eight Great Merits, and he’s yours."

’Eight Great Merits?’

Senior Sister Muk’s brow smoothed, and a hint of a smile appeared on her face.

"Wait a moment!"

Suddenly, an ice-cold voice rang out:

"I’ll take this man."

Senior Sister Muk’s expression darkened. She turned, ready to scold the person who dared to snatch goods from her, but when she saw who it was, her expression changed abruptly.

"Senior Sister Zhou!"

"Senior Sister!"

"..."

At some point, the long street had fallen deathly silent. All the Joyful Sect disciples lowered their heads, not daring to look at the approaching woman.

Zhu Ju, however, looked astonished.

He never expected that in this faraway place, at the very headquarters of the Joyful Sect, he would run into an old acquaintance.

Zhou Yuantong!

His friend from his time in Leping County.

’When did she join the Joyful Sect? And from the looks of it, her status here is anything but ordinary.’