After Evan Yang's identity was exposed by the 'thief' in front of him, he wasn't particularly worried. After all, right now, both of them were wanted by the Bai Family.
"I'm Jax Jia. And you?" The 'thief' introduced himself, wanting to chat with his new companion.
Whenever someone asked who he was, Evan Yang always had to think for a moment: "Should I tell them my real name?"
Seeing Evan Yang zoning out, Jax Jia patted Evan's broad shoulder and said, "What are you spacing out for? You think I'm a thief? Looking down on me?"
"You're overthinking it. Just call me Evan Yang." In the end, Evan decided to tell him his real name—partly to see his reaction, partly because they were both in similar situations, almost like kindred spirits.
"Evan Yang? That's a pretty unusual name. I'll just call you Han kid—it sounds better." Jax Jia grinned, touching the thin braid tied behind his head.
Evan noticed that Jax Jia had a delicate face, a thin braid, loose hair hanging on both sides, and a small, malnourished frame—he looked even more ragged than Evan's beggar disguise, practically starving.
"What are you staring at? I'm still a person!" Jax Jia snapped, annoyed.
Evan Yang chuckled, "Of course you're a person. You just look a bit like a girl, that's all."
"What? Say I look like a girl one more time and I'll fight you!" Jax Jia shot back, instantly riled up by Evan's comment.
"Fine, fine. So tell me what it's like in there." Evan Yang found a large rock to sit on and asked Jax Jia, who was still posturing as if ready for a duel.
Jax Jia dropped his act, lay down on a flatter rock beside Evan, and gazed up at the sky. "Inside? Wasn't it the Bai Family chasing you? Then you ended up dragging out a bunch of monsters!"
"What are those monsters, anyway?" Evan Yang remembered the powerful auras in the cave and the magma-covered bodies.
"Do you even know where you went?" Jax Jia shot back.
"Where was it?" Evan Yang was genuinely curious about the place—the red sky, the flames in the fissures, and those strange creatures.
"That's the famous Flame Forbidden Zone of the Eastern Continent. In terms of danger, it's ranked in the top five." As he spoke, Jax Jia couldn't help but admire Evan's guts—he'd actually gone in there with just Foundation-Building cultivation.
No wonder the Bai Family and rogue cultivators wouldn't dare enter—it was a forbidden zone. Thinking of this, Evan felt lucky to have his treasure armor and the seed inside him; without them, those bizarre flames would've devoured him long ago. Just remembering it made him shiver.
"You really didn't know?" Seeing Evan's surprised look, Jax Jia asked, curious.
"I don't know much about these places on the continent. I was just forced there, so I jumped in—lucky I didn't run into anything too dangerous." Evan Yang pretended to be relieved, as if he'd narrowly escaped.
"You really hit the jackpot. Did you see or get anything in there?" Jax Jia suddenly sat up, looking at Evan with surprise and suspicion.
Faced with that kind of question, Evan Yang obviously couldn't mention the cave or the herbs inside—telling anyone would just bring trouble. So he replied, a bit frustrated, "There was nothing much, just weird flames everywhere. I had no choice but to climb out, and some strange creatures followed me up, so I ran out as fast as I could."
"Such a waste, such a waste," Jax Jia sighed.
"Is there really something in there?" Evan Yang asked on purpose.
"Why do you think it's called the Flame Forbidden Zone? Of course there's something special about it. Tons of big names have tried to go in and see what's there, but most never came back. Some even say the remains and treasures of those great figures are still inside. Even if there's nothing else, just those relics would make anyone jealous." Jax Jia said, full of envy.
"Then why don't the big sects or great clans go in together?" Evan Yang didn't know much about forbidden zones, so he kept pressing the knowledgeable Jax Jia for answers.
"They used to, but nobody ever survived. Everyone runs into those monsters, so after a few thousand years, people stopped sending anyone in—it's basically suicide." Jax Jia explained to Evan, who clearly knew nothing about the place.
"Are the monsters really that strong?" Evan Yang couldn't help but break into a cold sweat.
"Obviously! If they could break out, the whole continent would suffer—almost nobody could take them on!" Jax Jia shot Evan a look of disdain, as if he was just some clueless beggar.
"They can't get out?" Evan Yang relaxed a bit—at least they wouldn't come after him.
"Yeah, for some reason, they can only move under the blood-red sky. If they leave, they can't stand it for long and have to retreat." Jax Jia answered.
"No wonder," Evan Yang muttered.
"Feels good, right? You got a bunch of the Bai Family's elites trapped in there. Now you're Bai's number-one enemy, haha!" Jax Jia burst out laughing at Evan's expression.
"Didn't a lot of big figures show up? Maybe they'll save some Bai people." Evan Yang said, feeling a bit uneasy.
"You're too soft. If it were up to me, I'd rather no big figures came—let all those who hunted you die." Jax Jia snorted, clearly harboring deep resentment toward the Bai Family.
"What, did the Bai Family offend you? Why curse them like that?" Evan Yang asked curiously.
"Mind your own business." Jax Jia stood up and stubbornly brushed the dust off his pants.
Evan Yang stood up too, dusting himself off. "Well, I'll be on my way then."
"Where are you headed?" Jax Jia asked anxiously when he saw Evan Yang about to leave.
After taking a few steps, Evan Yang turned back and replied, "Just wandering the continent."
"There are people everywhere looking for you. Are you really going out there?" Jax Jia knew Evan's 'worth' outside—he couldn't believe Evan would risk getting caught.
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"I can't just hide forever, can I?" Evan Yang replied.
"Nobody said you had to hide. If you trust me, I'll take you somewhere—there, you'll be totally free. Nobody can catch you." Jax Jia said to Evan Yang.
"Is there really such a place?" Evan Yang asked, surprised and skeptical.
"Believe it or not, your call," Jax Jia said with a glance.
"I've got nothing to lose. Worst case, I'll just bail if things go south." After weighing his options, Evan Yang replied, "Alright, let's see this place!"
Seeing Evan Yang agree, Jax Jia was delighted and began introducing the place they'd soon visit.
The Free Cultivator Alliance—a paradise for rogue cultivators. Here, even wanderers could feel at home, because fighting and duels were strictly forbidden. Anyone who broke the rules would have their cultivation crippled on the spot before further punishment. When Evan Yang asked what happened if someone powerful showed up, wouldn't that threaten the safety of the rogues? Jax Jia's inside information opened his eyes.
There were three such strongholds in the Eastern Continent, each with a population of hundreds of thousands, and millions in the outskirts. The power of the rogue cultivators was astonishing. Every stronghold was guarded by a formidable figure—so strong that even the greatest clans and sects of the Eastern Continent wouldn't dare challenge their position.
"Jax Jia, are you pulling my leg?" Evan Yang was shocked. Several strongholds with millions of people, and the leaders were so powerful that even the major clans and sects couldn't touch them.
"Why would I lie to you? You'll see for yourself. It's total freedom there. If you have a problem, you can challenge someone formally—but don't ever start a fight without permission. Whoever throws the first punch will have their cultivation crippled, then punished further!" Jax Jia replied, rolling his eyes.
"With so many people, how many managers do they need?" Evan Yang felt a headache just thinking about it.
"That's not your concern. The Free Cultivator Alliance has its own internal structure, and every year the guards chosen for the strongholds are remarkable. Don't underestimate rogue cultivators—when their power comes together, even the great clans and sects have to step aside!" Jax Jia said, clearly longing for that place.
"I'd love to meet the big figure who founded this alliance." Evan Yang was secretly amazed, envious of someone who could organize such power.
"Scared you, huh? As long as you don't do anything bad, you'll be safe for life. Even if you're a criminal outside, nobody can touch you once you're here." Jax Jia continued explaining.
"So nobody fights in secret?" Evan Yang asked, curious.
"Of course it happens. If you're lucky, nobody notices. But if you're unlucky—well, there are always powerful experts scanning the area. If you're caught, you won't even get a chance to leave the stronghold." Jax Jia chuckled.
"I see." Evan Yang now understood the Cultivator Alliance better—it really was a paradise for those without a background.
The two chatted as they walked, soon arriving at the stronghold Jax Jia had mentioned. Evan Yang was stunned when he saw it—it was clearly a hollowed-out nest, a true marvel of the cultivation world.
"Pretty cool, right? They say a few big figures carved it out, brought in water and plants, and eventually it became self-sustaining. At first, the population was small, but now it's in the hundreds of thousands—maybe even a million. And rumor has it there's a Luotian Grand Array around the stronghold. If the big figures activate it, it can defend against armies from outside." Jax Jia proudly introduced the marvel to Evan Yang.
"Wow, that's insane." Seeing the scene before him and thinking of the power of those big figures, Evan Yang could only marvel. It made him more determined on his cultivation path—maybe someday he'd reach that level, able to stomp his foot and punch out a massive hollow in the earth.
"Come on, let's go! I'll take you to the lively market." Jax Jia pulled the stunned Evan Yang back to reality.