The ultimate chaos God

At the Pavilion

The suffocating gloom of the Ashen Veil Forest finally gave way to the chaotic, sprawling streets of the Green Willow Market.

Located just on the edge of the Li Celestial Clan's territory, the market was a sensory overload of shouting vendors, the sharp scent of medicinal herbs, and the heavy clash of spiritual pressure from hundreds of passing cultivators. It was a hub where clan members and wandering rogues alike came to trade blood for resources artifacts, techniques, elixirs, and weapons.

Li Tian walked through the crowded dirt streets, the crude sack of his harvest slung over his shoulder.

"I'm here."

His dark eyes swept over the stalls, his expression cold and unreadable. He kept his qi tightly restrained, blending in with the lowly outer disciples milling about. One must be careful in a place like this. Show too much wealth without the strength to back it up, and you don't just get scammed—you end up dead in an alley.

He bypassed the open-air stalls and stepped into a grand, three-story pavilion located near the center of the market. The air inside was cool, thick with the scent of burning sandalwood and concentrated spiritual energy.

Behind a polished jade counter stood a merchant, his eyes quickly scanning Li Tian's cheap, blood-stained tunic. The man's polite smile didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Young master, what do you have for us today?"

Li Tian didn't waste time. He stepped up to the counter and unceremoniously dumped the contents of his sack. A pile of low-grade spirit cores, muddy blood-roots, and crushed Spirit Dew Lotuses spilled across the pristine jade surface.

"How many spirit stones for the lot?"

The merchant picked through the pile with the tip of a pristine wooden rod, his lips curling into a faint sneer. He didn't even bother to look up.

"These are low-grade garbage. Bruised herbs and shattered cores. This entire pile will earn you exactly one hundred spirit stones. Take it or leave it."

Li Tian stared at the man.

Without breaking eye contact, Li Tian reached into the inner pocket of his tunic. He placed a single, perfectly round spirit core onto the jade counter. It pulsed with a dense, terrifying light, its internal energy swirling like a captured storm.

"What if I add this?"

The merchant's eyes snapped to the core. His breath hitched, his pupils dilating in pure shock. He looked at Li Tian, a boy radiating the pathetic qi of a low-level cultivator, and then back at the core.

"This..." The merchant quickly masked his shock with a practiced look of disdain, though his hands trembled slightly as he reached for it. "This is just another low-grade mutation. The color is flashy, but the energy is unstable. I'll be generous and give you another hundred spirit stones for it."

"Are you blind, or just stupid?" Li Tian's voice was dead calm. "That is a core from an Earth Beast Realm Grade 5.

The merchant's face flushed dark red. He slammed his hand against the counter, his qi flaring to intimidate the frail-looking boy.

"You dare accuse me of scamming you?! I have appraised thousands of cores! I said it is a low-grade piece of trash, and it is a low-grade piece of trash! If you don't want the stones, get out of my pavilion!"

Li Tian didn't flinch. He didn't argue. He simply folded his arms across his chest and watched the man scream, his expression completely indifferent.

"What is the cause of all this noise?"

A voice drifted from the inner hall. It wasn't loud, but it cut through the merchant's shouting like a razor through silk.

A middle-aged man stepped out from behind a velvet curtain. He wore a pristine white robe that trailed effortlessly across the floor. His face was calm, his eyes incredibly sharp, but what immediately drew attention was his left ear it was completely, starkly white, a striking contrast against his dark hair. He lazily fanned himself with a paper folding fan, carrying an aura of absolute authority masquerading as boredom.

The merchant immediately paled, bowing so low his forehead nearly scraped the jade counter.

"Master Luo! My apologies. This... this boy is causing a scene over a worthless, low-grade spirit beast core."

Master Luo didn't look at the merchant. His sharp eyes locked directly onto Li Tian.

Then, Luo's gaze dropped to the core resting on the counter.

His paper fan snapped shut.

Master Luo shoved the bowing merchant aside, stepping directly in front of Li Tian. The lazy indifference completely vanished, replaced by a warm, calculating smile.

"Young master," Luo said smoothly, his tone shifting into one of utmost respect. "Forgive the ignorance of my staff. We will get you absolutely anything you want."

The merchant froze, his jaw practically unhinging. He stared at Master Luo, completely bewildered by the sudden change in attitude toward a ragged boy. A cold sweat broke out on his back.

Master Luo raised a brow, shooting Li Tian a lazy, teasing grin.

"Please, follow me to the inner vault. It is much quieter there."

Li Tian didn't say a word. He picked up his core and followed Luo through the heavy iron doors at the back of the pavilion.

The inner vault was a different world. The walls were lined with glowing spiritual stones, illuminating shelves stacked with priceless herbs, glowing ancient weapons, and jade slips containing lost knowledge.

Master Luo turned around, tapping his fan against his palm.

"You can have anything you want from this room, young master. But there is a condition. You must promise to keep supplying me with whatever you harvest in the future. If you are willing to sell, you sell only to me."

Li Tian looked at the Void Refinement master. He knew Luo had sensed something. The old fox was making an investment.

A faint, sharp laugh escaped Li Tian's lips.

"And what exactly are you going to give me in return if I agree to become your personal supplier?"

"Protection from the market's scavengers," Luo replied instantly, his eyes gleaming. "And I will personally keep providing you with top-tier cultivation materials. No questions asked."

Li Tian held his gaze for a moment.

"Alright. It's a deal."

He turned away from Luo and began scanning the glowing shelves. It didn't take long to find what he needed. Resting on a velvet cushion was a pristine, glowing vial—a High-Grade Elixir.

This should be enough to buffer the Heaven-Earth Qi Alignment technique, he thought, securing the vial in his robes.

Before he could turn back to the entrance, a faint fluctuation of qi caught his attention. Tucked away in the corner of a dusty bottom shelf was a battered jade slip named The Shadow Step. Li Tian walked over and picked it up.

Master Luo drifted over, a dramatic sigh escaping his lips as he looked at the jade slip.

"Ah, you have an incredible eye. That is an ancient, rare technique passed down by a supremely powerful cultivator from the forgotten era. It is the only copy in existence. To learn it is agonizingly difficult because only a chosen entity can read the text in this scroll; only a handful of geniuses have ever managed to master it in all of ancient history."

Li Tian didn't even blink at the exaggerated sales pitch. He just pocketed the jade slip.

With his goal accomplished, they walked back out of the inner vault. As Li Tian reached the pavilion's main entrance, he casually raised his hand in the air without looking back.

"We shall see each other again."

He disappeared into the crowded market street.

Inside the pavilion, the lazy smile completely vanished from Master Luo's face. The atmosphere in the room plummeted, becoming cold and suffocating.

The merchant shivered, stepping forward cautiously.

"Master Luo... why did you give him access to the vault?"

Master Luo stared at the doorway where Li Tian had vanished, his eyes dark and deadly serious.

"That boy is generating a strange aura that even I cannot understand. His cultivation level is pathetic, yet he carries the scent of something ancient and terrifying."

Luo slowly opened his paper fan, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper.

"He cannot be underestimated at all. That is why I need to win his favor now... for the sake of the future."