The streets were paved with bluestone, bustling with travelers coming and going. From the teahouses and taverns along the roadside came bursts of noise and laughter, the sound of mortal lives unfolding.
At first glance, this was nothing more than an ordinary mortal town.
Liu Wu suppressed the fluctuations of spiritual energy within his body, disguising himself as an ordinary man, and walked toward the town.
The gates stood unguarded. He had barely stepped inside when someone "accidentally" bumped into him. The man didn't apologize, simply pushed ahead and hurried on.
Liu Wu frowned, then barked in a sharp voice, "Stop!"
Instead of stopping, the man broke into a sprint, weaving quickly into a side alley. But Liu Wu's physical strength had long surpassed that of mortals. Taking the matter seriously, he surged forward and, in the blink of an eye, caught up. His iron palm pressed firmly onto the man's back.
In an instant, the man was immobilized.
Realizing he had run into steel rather than soft flesh, the man forced a nervous smile.
"Big brother, I didn't steal anything from you, right? No need to get so worked up."
Liu Wu snorted. That was only because the thief hadn't found anything worth stealing—his body carried nothing. With a sweep of divine sense, Liu Wu drew out a cloth pouch, spilling half a bag of silver fragments into his palm before tossing it back.
The thief's eyes shone with admiration rather than anger. He clasped his fists in salute.
"Brother, I respect you."
Then, clutching the pouch, he slipped away without hesitation.
Liu Wu shook his head with a laugh. It seemed the security of Wangxian Town was not particularly commendable.
Without further thought, he found a relatively grand inn, ordered a pot of strong tea, and settled quietly into a corner, his expression calm as his ears extended outward.
With his Qi Refining cultivation, his senses had long surpassed mortals'. The hushed conversations of dozens of people in the hall—even those hidden behind screens—flowed clearly into his ears.
"Did you hear? The butcher Zhang's youngest son disappeared the night before last!"
"So what? That's nothing new. Surely his immortal fate has arrived. Some immortal master must have taken him away! You'll see, give it a year or two, and he'll return riding the clouds!"
"You're right. Our Wangxian Town has blessed fengshui. Every so often, immortals descend the mountain to select disciples. Who knows, maybe one day my own son will be chosen."
Liu Wu listened quietly, disdain rising in his heart.
This so-called "immortal fate"… it was more likely the demonic sect abducting mortals. These foolish people truly believed their children were destined for cultivation.
He raised his teacup, blowing gently on the steam, before interjecting casually:
"Gentlemen, forgive my rudeness, but how can you be so certain that those who vanish have obtained 'immortal fate'? Could they not have been killed, abducted, or sold into some dark mine?"
His words had barely left his lips when the men at the next table turned in unison, gazes filled with pity, as if he were a naive fool.
One burly, bearded man scoffed.
"You're an outsider, aren't you? Let me tell you. Do you know Wang Lao'er's boy, Gou Dan, from the west of town? He disappeared for three whole months. Everyone thought he'd died outside. But just a few days ago, he suddenly returned! Guess what? He's already an immortal! Before our very eyes, he shattered a half-man-tall stone at the inn's entrance with a single palm! That's immortal power—no way to fake it!"
Liu Wu's heart immediately settled.
Crushing a stone with one palm—such a feat was trivial for a Qi Refining cultivator.
Clearly, the demonic sect occasionally allowed a "fortunate one" to return and display a taste of power, just to maintain the illusion of "immortal fate" and ensure the endless harvesting of mortals.
As Liu Wu fell silent, the men grew more enthusiastic, leaning toward him.
"Little brother, you look like someone come to Wangxian Town seeking immortal fate, eh?"
"What's your name? Tell us—we might be able to give you some advice."
Liu Wu's brow creased. "A chance meeting requires no exchange of names."
"That's where you're wrong," the bearded man whispered conspiratorially. "You don't know, do you? Recently the city lord has been searching everywhere for a mortal named Shen Qingyun! Half a month ago, an immortal from Blood Feast Valley personally declared that this man had fate with the Dao, and that he was to be taken into the Valley Lord's sect as a direct disciple!"
Blood Feast Valley?
The name alone dripped with ominous malice. Liu Wu had never heard of it. Could it be… another mountain gate of the Grand Dao Demonic Sect?
Unfortunately, Qin Shuang was in seclusion, and he couldn't ask Liu Meng.
He suppressed his thoughts and asked casually, "So long has passed, and they still haven't found him?"
"It's not that he can't be found—it's that there are too many of them!" another man jumped in. "As soon as the news spread, every man named Shen Qingyun across the land came rushing here. The city lord's mansion is now filled with at least a hundred Shen Qingyuns! After all, the immortal only gave the name, not the appearance. So they'll take all of them to the blessed land, and once cultivation begins, the true chosen one will reveal himself!"
He chuckled darkly.
"Of course, anyone foolish enough to impersonate will be seen through at a glance. To deceive an immortal is a grave sin—they'll be thrown into the dungeon under the city lord's mansion, never to rise again."
Liu Wu quietly memorized this intelligence, then rose and left the inn.
His true purpose here remained the recruitment of helpers for his hidden cave.
On the streets, he sought out a few clear-eyed young women. Approaching them when they were alone, he released a hint of spiritual pressure, revealing himself as a cultivator. Instantly, they dropped to their knees, trembling in awe.
"Would you follow me up the mountain to seek immortal fate?" he asked lightly.
Every single one of them was overjoyed. Not a soul refused, even when he explained that within the sect the strong devoured the weak, and that even those chosen might never truly step onto the immortal path.
Instead, their eyes only burned brighter. They swore that cultivation was defiance of heaven itself, that even if the road ended in death and ruin, they would gladly pay the price.
Liu Wu remained unmoved, but in the end, he accepted them for now.
Gradually, he realized—this entire town was already "changed." As long as it promised immortality, these people would do anything.
Why they had become like this was no concern of his.
Just then, a cultivator in blood-red robes appeared before him, faint traces of blood qi radiating from his body.
Liu Wu stiffened in vigilance.
But the man grinned, flashing white teeth.
"Junior brother, you're here for 'stock' too, right? Want to see the mortals in my dungeon? Every last one of them carries karmic sins, so they won't drag you into deviation when used for cultivation."
He lowered his voice.
"One spirit stone, ten mortals. Fair price, no cheating. What do you say?"
Liu Wu froze. Only then did he realize—using innocent mortals for cultivation led to qi deviation. That was why this man sold only those with "tainted karma."
Unfortunately… Liu Wu had no spirit stones.
"Can I pay with Tri-Talent Coins?" he asked.
The blood-robed cultivator blinked, surprised, then smiled thinly.
"Junior brother, what generosity. But my stock isn't that large… perhaps I can deliver in batches?"
Liu Wu left the location of his cave, nodding calmly.
"No problem. Deliver them there. For one Tri-Talent Coin, how many mortals?"
The man laughed heartily.
"Straightforward! For that, I'll give you one thousand mortals in total! How about it?"
"That will do," Liu Wu nodded.
"Do you want men or women?"
"Men."
"Good!" The man smiled again. "I am Ye Xun of Blood Feast Valley. If you need more, come find me anytime."
Blood Feast Valley… again.
Liu Wu's thoughts stirred. This was the very name mentioned in the inn. Could this Ye Xun be the so-called "immortal" they had spoken of?
Suppressing his doubts, Liu Wu took his leave, already planning to investigate Blood Feast Valley thoroughly. At the very least, he needed to know—
Was Blood Feast Valley truly the fourth mountain gate of the Grand Dao Demonic Sect?