Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

The stone pillars grew thicker and taller, and some blurry, ancient carvings began to appear on them.

It was vaguely discernible that it was some kind of pattern, carrying an air of desolation and ruin.

Just as he arrived at the central area,

A somewhat familiar figure instantly put him on edge, and the Qingfeng sword in his hand was already poised to strike.

The figure seemed to sense the movement, and suddenly turned around, its face initially showing wariness.

Upon seeing Lin Zhao's face clearly, especially the conspicuous white sphere of light surrounding him, he immediately revealed that familiar smile.

"Hey! Brother Lin! It really is you!" Xu Chuan jumped out from the shadow of the stone pillar, still wearing that indigo blue outfit, his storage bag at his waist jingling.

He grinned broadly, appearing exceptionally pleased. "I knew it at first glance. To be chosen by Master Mingxuan, Brother Lin must possess extraordinary abilities."

There must be a way to enter this 'Silent Soul Stone Forest'! It seems I've waited for the right person!"

Lin Zhao remained vigilant, her gaze sweeping over Xu Chuan to confirm that he was alone.

Furthermore, no formations or ambushes were detected. "Fellow Daoist Xu, what brings you here?"

"Of course, I'm waiting for someone I'm destined to be with. Cough cough, I'm not kidding. Actually, I'm a little scared. I'm worried there might be danger inside, so I want to find someone to go with."

Xu Chuan took a few steps closer, lowered his voice, and his face showed the excitement of sharing a secret.

"Brother Lin, the end of this stone forest leads directly to the central palace area! It completely bypasses those deadly arrays and restrictions outside!"

This is a top secret passed down only within our "Upper Seven Workshops." Even within the Upper Seven Workshops, only these core members know about it.

Brother Lin must be a key figure in Tianyun Market to have gotten into this place. It'll be safer for us to travel with you!

Lin Zhao was speechless. He had so easily believed her based on this information.

His trust seems rather worthless.

But the amount of information in his words was enormous.

Lin Zhao's mind raced; on one hand, she was surprised that Xu Chuan knew such a secret.

On the other hand, the other party was frank and told him that they did not seem to have any malicious intent, which made him lower his guard a little.

"In that case, let's travel together. I'll trouble Fellow Daoist Xu to lead the way." Lin Zhao nodded in agreement.

He chose to travel with Xu Chuan for two reasons: firstly, Xu Chuan was indeed well-informed, which might save him a lot of trouble; and secondly, Xu Chuan's intelligence network was indeed excellent.

Secondly, given that Xu Chuan knows these secrets, his identity in Tianyun Market is probably not as simple as it seems. Rather than being his enemy, it's better to cooperate for the time being.

Furthermore, Lin Zhao's divine sense has not yet detected any malice.

After Lin Zhao broke through the divine barrier, his divine sense underwent a transformation, becoming exceptionally sharp.

"Of course, of course!" Xu Chuan's smile widened as he walked ahead.

At the same time, he kept talking and began to explain at length.

"Brother Lin, do you know the origin of this stone forest? According to legend..."

That was the work left behind by a Core Formation cultivator from a thousand years ago after using supernatural powers!

A Core Formation cultivator—truly terrifying! Their power has not dissipated for a thousand years!

As he walked, he explained various pieces of information and background about the secret realm. From him, Lin Zhao learned that...

This secret realm belongs to a powerful sect that unified the entire Yunxia Mountain Range a thousand years ago.

It is said that after that sect was destroyed in a major incident,

Some of the core disciples, carrying their inheritance, retreated into this secret realm, hoping to rely on the powerful formations within to make a final stand.

It's a pity... in the end, it still couldn't escape its fate of destruction. Those formations outside are traces of the resistance they put on back then.

Most of the valuable items were looted and taken away thousands of years ago.

The remaining formations, integrated with the secret realm, cannot be taken away, but destroying them would be too wasteful.

"Let's make use of this waste and transform this secret realm into a medicinal herb garden, opening it periodically to harvest the spiritual herbs inside."

Xu Chuan's words, like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, brought the past history of the secret realm to life in Lin Zhao's mind.

He had some doubts in his heart. The three major sects must have participated in the battle a thousand years ago, and now they were the new controllers of the Cloud and Mist Mountains.

What about the forces behind Yunfang City that day? Did they also play a role in it?

Could this "Silent Soul Stone Forest" he mentioned be the work left behind by the Core Formation stage cultivators behind Tianyun Market?

Otherwise, how could Tianyun Market have a way to safely pass through the Stone Forest?

Lin Zhao subtly inquired, "Brother Xu is very knowledgeable; he even knows these secrets from a thousand years ago like the back of his hand."

But who knows which powerful figure left behind this stone forest imbued with supernatural power?

Upon hearing this, Xu Chuan paused slightly, turned back to look at Lin Zhao, and a complex expression flashed in his eyes.

He then returned to his original state and said directly, "Brother Lin, to be honest, I really don't know this."

The era is too long, thousands of years, enough to bury too much information.

Perhaps only those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, or even higher-level figures, know the specific details.

"I'm just a handyman; I only get access to bits of information, and I don't know any specific details."

He paused, lowered his voice, and said with a meaningful tone, "However, it is a fact that the three major sects have completely erased the traces left by that sect outside."

For the three major sects to be so wary of it, and even join forces to cover it up... hehe, the waters run very deep.

His answer was half true and half false, which only added to the mystery.

Lin Zhao knew that asking any further questions wouldn't yield any results, so she stopped dwelling on it.

The two continued on their way, led by Xu Chuan, avoiding several seemingly peaceful areas that were actually fraught with danger.

It should be a trace left by a cultivator fighting against this divine power; judging from the aura, it was left by at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In the silent stone forest, only the sound of their footsteps and Xu Chuan's occasional explanations could be heard.

It took a full hour for the oppressive atmosphere around us to clear up.

The black stone forest had come to an end, replaced by a plaza bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun.

At the end of the square, the majestic, sprawling palace complex, shrouded in a hazy, spiritual light, was now clearly visible!

They successfully bypassed the outer array restrictions and arrived directly at the core area!

Looking back, the dark stone forest resembles a silent black dragon, separating the inside from the outside into two worlds.

Xu Chuan's smile faded, and his expression turned serious: "Brother Lin, we need to speed things up. This kind of special passage isn't unique to Tianyun Market."

The other businesses in Shangqifang Market also have their own channels to bypass the outer formations to varying degrees.

Of course, these methods are only known to a very few team leaders, and it's impossible for all the disciples in the market to know them.

But after thousands of years of exploration, some clever people have always managed to find some clues.

It's hard to say how many people will come in, so we need to hurry.