Chapter 4 – The Market Outside Ghost Mountain City!

The morning ghost mist was exceptionally thick.

Ye Sheng walked for over ten minutes before arriving at a market just outside the gates of Ghost Mountain City.

The market was shrouded in the ghost mist.

Through the mist, one could see rows of white lanterns hanging throughout the market.

The white lanterns swayed in the wind, causing the Soul-Calming Bells attached to them to emit a series of tinkling sounds.

Many Cultivators had set up various stalls selling equipment, elixirs, and other items.

There were also Cultivators shouting loudly, seeking to form teams to venture into the wilderness.

“Level 50 Ghost Warrior as a tank, equipped with full HP gear, holding the front line.

Fair price, only 2000 Federation Coins! Anyone in need, invite me to your team!”

A burly warrior with his arms crossed shouted in a deep, resonant voice, his expression cold.

Ye Sheng glanced at him and noticed his exceptionally vigorous life force, likely due to his full set of HP-boosting gear.

In this world, aside from leveling up, equipment was the most important factor.

Equipment could provide various powerful Attribute powers, enhancing the owner’s Combat Power!

However, equipment was mostly exorbitantly expensive!

Ordinary Cultivators simply couldn’t afford it.

“Level 75 Ghost Mage leading the team, giving you an experience like flying while leveling up!

10,000 Federation Coins per person, 2 hours of wilderness grinding, no bargaining!!! Those who agree can join the team quickly!”

On the other side, a man in a mage’s robe shouted, his expression aloof and proud.

Most of the people around him looked at him with awe.

Not for any other reason, but because this man not only had an extremely high Level, reaching 75!

But his Class was also a Mage!

As everyone knew, Mages possessed large-scale monster-slaying abilities, leveling up at an astonishing speed with devastating destructive power, often respectfully called “Mage Lords”!

In the Cultivator world, Mages generally held a higher status!

“Hiss~! 10,000 Federation Coins?!”

Ye Sheng clicked his tongue in surprise.

10,000 Federation Coins!

That was equivalent to two months of living expenses for an ordinary family!

Yet here, it only bought 2 hours of grinding!

Ye Sheng sighed.

Everyone knew cultivation consumed vast amounts of money, and this was just for leveling up.

It didn’t even include purchasing equipment!

Ye Sheng glanced at himself, wearing only a cheap tracksuit bought on sale for 200 coins at a clothing store.

As for equipment, he had none.

Compared to the colorful gear worn by most Cultivators in the market, he could be described as extremely shabby, clearly a rookie who had just entered the Cultivator world.

“I need to get myself some equipment when I have the chance. The boost equipment gives to Combat Power is terrifying!”

Ye Sheng rubbed his chin.

Although he had nothing now, he was full of confidence.

He possessed the world’s top-ranked Class, ‘Celestial Master’!

And he also held a Heaven-Defying Skill in his hands—Nine Heavens Divine Thunder!~

Rising to prominence shouldn’t be too difficult!

“Surpassing them is just a matter of time.”

Ye Sheng swept his gaze over the crowd in the market and muttered to himself.

…

At that moment, the market suddenly grew restless.

Many people looked up at the sky.

Curious, Ye Sheng also looked up.

He saw four figures actually flying toward the market using Aerial Flight.

“They can fly?”

Ye Sheng was startled at first, but upon closer inspection, he understood.

These four weren’t truly flying through Aerial Flight.

Instead, there was a woman in a gray mage robe in the team.

This woman was a ‘Wind Mage’ who had cast ‘Flight Spell’ on all four of them, allowing them to fly short distances for a limited time.

“It’s the Cangming Squad!”

“It looks like they’re rounding people up again!”

“Quick, back away, don’t let them notice us. Getting caught as filler would be disastrous.”

“Exactly, last time someone was taken as filler, they were dumped in the ‘Deep Wilderness’ and never returned. Rumor has it they were devoured alive by Malevolent Ghosts.”

With the arrival of the four, the market erupted into chaos. The crowd retreated in waves, clearly terrified of the newcomers.

Many Cultivators who had been setting up stalls hastily packed up and fled, the scene almost exaggerated.

“Young man, hurry and leave. Don’t let the Cangming Squad notice you.”

An Elder, seeing Ye Sheng standing there dumbfounded, patted him on the shoulder to warn him.

Ye Sheng asked curiously, “Senior, why run? Are these four really that terrifying?”

The Elder paused, realizing Ye Sheng was a newcomer, and smiled bitterly. “Terrifying? More than just terrifying! This Cangming Squad is a top-tier team at 1st Revolution, Level 90! All four are peak Experts at that level! They roam the wilds unchecked!”

“And… being taken by them as filler never ends well…”

Before the Elder could finish, his expression suddenly changed—the four were heading straight toward them.

Seeing this, the Elder didn’t hesitate, abandoning Ye Sheng and darting away himself.

Ye Sheng also intended to leave, thinking it best to avoid trouble. This ‘Cangming Squad’ clearly wasn’t to be trifled with. As a newcomer to the Cultivator world, it was wiser not to provoke them.

But he was a step too late.

The surrounding crowd had already scattered, leaving him standing alone and conspicuously out in the open. It was impossible not to be noticed.

Whoosh!

Four figures landed, surrounding Ye Sheng.

A burly man clad in armor grabbed Ye Sheng by the collar of his robe and laughed heartily, “Good! This time we didn’t have to work hard at all. This kid will do as filler!”

A woman in gray robes cast a cold glance at Ye Sheng and said, “Don’t waste time. The Teleportation Array to the ‘Deep Wilderness’ requires five people to activate. We only have four, so this kid will do. Once we pass through the array, we’ll dump him there.”

“Heh, exactly!”

The burly man chuckled, eyeing Ye Sheng. “Kid, tough luck! You’re filling in for us!”

“Let’s go!”

After a brief exchange, the four made their decision.

The woman in gray robes then cast a spell, lifting everyone into the air.

Ye Sheng felt his body grow light as he was lifted off the ground.

Before he could react, the four were already carrying him away from the market via Aerial Flight.

“That kid… is probably in grave danger!”

After the four left, the crowd slowly returned to the market, casting sympathetic glances in Ye Sheng’s direction from afar.

“Indeed, once he’s dumped in the ‘Deep Wilderness,’ his chances of returning alone to Ghost Mountain City are slim. The entire journey back is swarming with Malevolent Ghosts!”

…

A short while later.

Ye Sheng was brought by the four to a Bagua Formation.

The formation glowed with a faint purple light, guarded by an Elder with silver hair.

The silver-haired Elder’s aura was dense and profound, almost unfathomable.

“Elder Zhou, please open the Teleportation Array.”

The woman in gray robes paid the fee, clasped her hands respectfully, and dared not show any disrespect toward the silver-haired Elder.

“Is the number of people sufficient?”

“Yes! Five people, meeting the teleportation requirements.”

The woman in gray robes forced a smile.

The silver-haired Elder swept his gaze over them, confirming there were indeed five.

Along the way, his gaze paused briefly on Ye Sheng, who was still being carried by the burly man, but he showed no particular interest, merely giving a cold nod.

“Don’t move around. I won’t be responsible if you fall into the Space Turbulence.”

The silver-haired Elder said flatly.

Then, with intricate hand seals, he activated the Bagua Formation.

As the Elder moved, the Bagua Formation trembled, and a faint purple light surged, instantly enveloping the figures of Ye Sheng and the other four.

By the time the purple light faded, the Teleportation Array was already empty.