The violent tremor ripped through the entire market, sending flimsy wooden stalls crashing sideways and rolling spirit herbs and ore fragments scattering across the dirt. The lively hubbub of chatter and bargaining vanished in an instant, replaced by a suffocating silence. Every cultivator present stood frozen, their faces drained of blood as they stared upward at the Forbidden Ancient Mountain in the distance.
The billowing black fog churned wildly, stretching toward the sky like a writhing dark serpent, before condensing sharply into a towering, hazy silhouette. The outline sharpened inch by inch, taking the clear shape of a towering, unadorned black crown—an aura of bone-chilling, corrupt malice poured down from the shadow, heavy and oppressive, pressing against the chests of every nearby cultivator. Even those at the late Spirit Cleansing Realm stumbled back a step, their hands clenching tightly around their weapons, terror glinting in their eyes as they struggled to withstand the dreadful pressure.
Wen Yanzhi's gentle expression faded at once, his brows furrowing deeply as he stared at the shadowy crown in the sky, his voice low and grim with gravity. "That's the omen of the Black Crown… I've traveled the four regions for years, and I've only heard whispers of it in remote sect legends. A shadowy ruler wearing this dark crown has been slaughtering small sects and rogue cultivator groups near the Lingxu Region for decades, leaving no survivors. No one has ever seen their true face, only this terrifying crown shadow."
He paused, his gaze flicking to Chen Fan with undisguised astonishment. The oppressive aura from the Black Crown was enough to rattle even seasoned cultivators, yet Chen Fan stood perfectly calm, his posture relaxed, his face devoid of even a trace of fear. There was no tremor in his frame, no flinch from the malicious pressure—an unnatural composure that made Wen Yanzhi certain this newly arrived fellow daoist was far more extraordinary than he appeared.
Inside Chen Fan's dantian, the Chaos Root thrashed violently, as if reacting to a mortal enemy. A sharp, hostile sensation lanced through his spiritual sense, the cold, piercing gaze from the shadow locking onto him with unshakable precision. Yet his Dao heart remained as still and clear as a placid lake, unshaken by the malice or the chaotic thrumming of his Chaos Root. He silently circulated the Path of Balance, gently calming the raging resonance within his dantian, erasing any trace of abnormal energy from his surface.
He knew instantly that this Black Crown shadow was inextricably linked to the black-robed forces that had terrorized the Lower Realm. This was not a mere coincidence—it was a thread connecting the two realms, woven by the same dark power.
The shadowy black crown lingered in the sky for a dozen more breaths, before slowly dissolving back into rolling black fog that enshrouded the Forbidden Ancient Mountain once more. The oppressive aura gradually faded, and the panicked cultivators in the market let out shaky sighs of relief, their voices rising into anxious, hushed chatter as they traded theories about the omen and the forbidden mountain's secrets.
"Let's leave this area quickly. The Black Crown omen has appeared, and this place will only grow more dangerous," Wen Yanzhi said urgently, turning back to Chen Fan with a serious expression. "The Forbidden Ancient Mountain's seal is clearly weakening, and more rogue cultivators and sect disciples will flood here looking for treasure, turning the surrounding lands into a chaotic mess. I plan to head to the outskirts of the Lingxu Region, near Qingxuan Pavilion—if you don't have a set destination, you can come with me."
Chen Fan nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on the distant black fog. He could sense a faint, familiar wisp of energy lingering in the air after the shadow crown vanished—a pure, ancient aura that resonated softly with his Chaos Root. It was the aura of a Chaos Fragment, the very key to advancing his Path of Balance in this Upper Realm.
"Lead the way," he said simply, his tone calm and unhurried.
The two turned and walked toward the western edge of the market, stepping past the throng of panicked cultivators and into a quieter forest path leading to the Lingxu Region. Wen Yanzhi spoke as they walked, filling Chen Fan in on critical details of the Hengxiao Heavenly Realm.
"Qingxuan Pavilion is a moderate-sized sect in this region, focused on cultivating balance-related Daoist arts and guarding ancient records of the Upper Realm's origins. They're recruiting outer guest elders right now—no faction infighting, no mandatory sect duties, just access to their basic scripture pavilion and nearby spiritual lands. For a rogue cultivator like you, new to the realm, it's the perfect place to learn the rules and lay down roots without entanglement."
Before Wen Yanzhi could finish speaking, three burly cultivators in tattered gray robes stepped out from behind a thicket of ancient trees, blocking their path. Their eyes were greedy and hostile, sweeping over Chen Fan's plain, unadorned robes with open disdain.
"Look at this, boys—another lost little rogue trying to sneak into the Lingxu Region," the leading brute sneered, cracking his knuckles as he stepped forward, his mid Spirit Cleansing Realm cultivation flaring menacingly. "You must have some treasure hidden on you to dare wander alone after the Black Crown omen. Hand over all your spirit stones and artifacts, and we might let you leave with your lives."
The two brutes behind him laughed crudely, spreading out to block any escape, clearly accustomed to preying on unfamiliar, seemingly weak cultivators.
Wen Yanzhi's face darkened, stepping forward to intervene—but Chen Yuan placed a hand lightly on his shoulder, stopping him.
Chen Fan did not raise a hand, nor did he flare his cultivation base. He merely allowed a wisp of invisible, gentle Balance Qi to ripple outward from his body, thin as a thread but carrying the unshakable suppression of a Lower Realm perfected Dao foundation.
The leading brute's aggressive spiritual energy slammed into the invisible Balance Qi barrier—and dissipated into thin air in an instant, as if it had never existed. The brute's smug sneer froze on his face, his body going stiff. He could not move an inch, his meridians feeling heavy and blocked, his cultivation base completely unresponsive.
The other two brutes paled in terror, realizing in an instant they had provoked a monstrously powerful expert. They did not dare make a sound, scrambling to drag their frozen leader away before fleeing into the forest as fast as their legs could carry them, not daring to look back.
Wen Yanzhi stared at Chen Fan in outright awe, his mouth slightly agape. He had not sensed any fluctuation of powerful energy, no flash of spiritual arts—Chen Fan had subdued three violent rogue cultivators with nothing more than a silent, invisible aura. This level of strength was unheard of for a newcomer to the Hengxiao Heavenly Realm.
"You… your cultivation is truly extraordinary," Wen Yanzhi said, his voice filled with respectful admiration, no longer treating Chen Fan as a mere lost newcomer.
Chen Fan merely shook his head, not bothering to elaborate. "Needless chaos serves no purpose. Let us keep moving."
The two continued down the forest path, the atmosphere growing quieter as they neared the Lingxu Region border. The surrounding spiritual energy grew denser, but a faint, corrupt taint lingered beneath the purity, a trace of the dark power spilling from the Forbidden Ancient Mountain.
As they stepped onto a small hill overlooking the sealed mountain, Chen Fan's Chaos Root stirred once more. This time, the resonance was sharper, clearer—there was indeed a Chaos Fragment hidden within the Forbidden Ancient Mountain.
And hidden in the dense forest at the foot of the mountain, three figures draped in tattered black robes crouched low, their eyes glinting with cold malice as they stared not at the mountain, but directly at Chen Fan's back.
Their gaze was hungry, predatory, fixated on the faint Balance Qi lingering around his frame.
The Black Crown's minions had already found their first target.