Chapter 439

Chapter 439: Chaos Demon City

Chaos Demon City stood at the edge of the Northern Desert.

The Northern Desert spanned millions of miles. During ancient times, this land had been paradises of the heavens that housed a renowned great sect. But the sect fell in a cataclysmic Great War that shattered the paradises into barren wastelands, leaving behind meager Spiritual Energy and faint traces of Nascent Soul energy. This alone revealed how fearsome ancient Cultivators truly were.

Though reduced to ruins, numerous relics and treasures remained. Like modern sects, that ancient organization possessed countless Small Thousand Worlds. While most were destroyed, some fragmented realms endured – becoming treasure-hunting grounds for Cultivators.

Yet dangers lurked everywhere. Most of the Northern Desert retained scars from the ancient conflict – fractured void spaces, lingering restrictions, eternal Immortal flames, and toxic remnants. While rich in treasures, this region claimed thousands of Cultivator lives yearly. Few fell to traps; most died from greed-driven battles. Nine out of ten victims perished in treasure disputes.

Chaos Demon City emerged as gathering place for these fortune-seekers. As the sole location nearby containing Spiritual Veins, it grew into a settlement and became the region’s primary hub.

The city’s most renowned feature was its auction house. Proximity to the Northern Desert ensured constant treasure influx, mostly from scattered cultivators seeking quick sales. Over time, this auction house gained fame for its abundant treasures.

Major powers controlling Chaos Demon City protected the auction house’s operations and client safety to preserve its lucrative benefits. The establishment developed an impeccable reputation.

Recent auctions drew unprecedented crowds due to one supreme treasured item – a newly discovered Dao Pattern Heavenly Eye, the pinnacle of Heavenly Eyes.

Heavenly Eyes, crafted from Void Beasts’ singular eyes, merge with Cultivators’ vision to grant the beasts’ spatial sight. Void Beasts stalk prey through the void, plucking Demon Pills from victims unseen. Even Ninth-Rank Great Demons couldn’t evade this fate – being marked by a Void Beast meant certain death.

The Dao Pattern Heavenly Eye required a Void Beast King’s eye. Its surface bore spatial divine patterns, enabling not just enhanced vision but also one of three divine skills:

1. Void Eye – Pierced through dimensional barriers and storage items, exposing hidden enemies and concealed treasures.

2. Void Claw – Unblockable attack reaching through void space to seize internal organs. Only Eighth-rank spatial defenses or spatial divine skills could counter it – even Thunder Tribulation Immortals fell instantly.

3. Void Escape – Enabled instant void traversal for pursuit or retreat. Users could vanish before enemies’ eyes and reappear miles away, making capture nearly impossible.

These three divine skills grew increasingly formidable and extraordinary.

Initially, one could only acquire a single skill. But as the Heavenly Eye fused deeper with the user’s body through special Dao magic and spiritual items, completing the remaining divine patterns to unlock all three divine skills became possible.

Achieving this would enable even a Wind Tribulation Immortal to rival a Thunder Tribulation Immortal!

Such a treasured item drew immense attention. Upon the news spreading, countless experts flooded into Chaos Demon City.

Many offered Eighth-rank Treasures in exchange despite the Heavenly Eye’s nature as single-use treasure – perishing with its owner, unlike inheritable Eighth-rank Treasures no major sect would trade for it.

The failed transactions despite extravagant offers hinted at deeper schemes.

A man in black robes appeared outside Chaos Demon City, fully concealed by dark garments. While peculiar elsewhere, such attire proved commonplace here where treasure hunters hid identities to avoid ambush from accumulated grudges.

The thousand-mile city’s massive gates stood reinforced by Dao magic. The armored gatekeeper – a Nascent Soul True Immortal – immediately bowed upon sensing the newcomer’s overwhelming Spiritual Pressure indicating Wind Tribulation Immortal-level cultivation.

"Greetings, Senior!"

"Dispense with formalities." The black-robed man’s youthful voice betrayed his age. "Your purpose?"

"First-time visitors require guidance," the guard explained, producing a jade talisman. "Ten High-grade spirit stones monthly grants safe passage through the protective array."

"Robbery!" the man protested. Ten High-grade stones equaled a hundred thousand low-grade stones.

"Northern Desert’s edge lacks Spiritual Energy," the guard countered. "Maintaining this enriched zone demands compensation." Reluctantly paying, the robed figure entered.

Guides swarmed the newcomer. Selecting a composed one, he secured a private courtyard at premium rates. After activating protective Formations and confirming no surveillance arrays, he removed his disguise – revealing golden-winged Fang Lie’s blood clone.

The true Fang Lie remained outside, wary of traps. From his clone’s gathered intelligence, this decade’s grandest auction had drawn Thunder Tribulation Immortals. Preliminary gatherings allowed resource trading among early arrivals.

Fang Lie aimed to attend a Wind Tribulation Immortals’ auction in three days. While preferring stealthy acquisition, he prepared for chaos: this expendable clone would wreak havoc if provoked, ensuring plotters paid dearly.