I only reached the Foundation Establishment stage at eighty years old, and then the system appeared.

The deeper one ventures into the Central Region, the more expansive the territory of the Monster Forest becomes. Monsters appearing casually on the outskirts are frequently of the sixth or seventh tier, and the markets established around these Monster Forests are becoming increasingly prosperous.

That day, Yang Hongbo and Yang Tianfei arrived at the entrance of a large market. Suddenly, Yang Tianfei smiled and said to Yang Hongbo, "Master, I've found an interesting person in this market!"

"Oh, how can it be fun?"

"This guy is clearly in the mid-stage of the Tribulation Transcending realm, but on the surface he only appears to be in the Void Returning realm. He runs a small shop and earns only a pittance!"

Yang Hongbo raised an eyebrow and asked with interest, "Returning to the Void stage? Yet he possesses the strength of a mid-Tribulation stage cultivator. That's intriguing. Why is he hiding himself like this? Is there some hidden story in this market?"

Yang Tian chuckled, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Master, his little shop looks unassuming, but the things it sells seem quite interesting. Maybe it's hiding some secret. Shall we go and check it out?"

Yang Hongbo pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Alright, since we've encountered such an interesting person, we should go and find out more." With that, the two headed toward the small shop.

Upon entering the shop, they saw some ordinary magical artifacts and elixirs displayed inside, looking no different from any other ordinary shop. A middle-aged man in a simple robe with an unremarkable face was sitting behind the counter. Seeing Yang Hongbo and Yang Tian enter, he slightly raised his head, revealing a gentle smile: "What would you two gentlemen like?"

Yang Hongbo's gaze swept over him. His apparent cultivation level was at the Returning to the Void stage, but the aura he inadvertently exuded led Yang Hongbo to conclude that he was indeed the mid-stage Tribulation Transcending cultivator Yang Tian had mentioned. Yang Hongbo smiled slightly and said, "We're new here, just looking around."

The middle-aged man, Liu Tianzhe, still smiled and nodded: "Please make yourself at home, sir. If there's anything you like, just ask."

Yang Hongbo strolled around the shop, picked up a seemingly ordinary magical artifact, and casually asked, "Boss, this artifact looks unremarkable. Is there anything special about it?"

Liu Tianzhe stood up, walked to Yang Hongbo's side, took the magic weapon, gently stroked it, and said, "Sir, you may not know this, but although this magic weapon looks ordinary, it is engraved with a special formation inside, which can play an unexpected role at critical moments." As he spoke, he circulated his spiritual power, and the magic weapon flashed with light, faintly emitting a powerful force.

Yang Hongbo inwardly praised the magic weapon; it was indeed extraordinary. However, he was more interested in Liu Tianzhe himself. He put down the magic weapon, looked into Liu Tianzhe's eyes, and asked, "Boss, I see you're only at the Void Returning stage, yet you can produce such a fine magic weapon. You must have some extraordinary abilities yourself, right?"

Liu Tianzhe was slightly taken aback, then laughed and said, "Sir, you are joking. I am just a small-scale businessman. What extraordinary abilities do I have? I've just been lucky and had some good opportunities."

Yang Hongbo smiled slightly and said, "Boss, don't be modest. I can tell from your calm aura and profound spiritual power that you are not someone who can be a Void Returning stage cultivator. If I'm not mistaken, you should be a mid-stage Tribulation Transcending expert."

Liu Tianzhe's expression changed slightly, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure. He looked at Yang Hongbo and said slowly, "Sir, you have a good eye. Indeed, I am at the mid-stage of the Tribulation Transcending realm. However, I have been concealing my cultivation level simply to live a peaceful life in this market."

Yang Hongbo became interested and pulled Liu Tianzhe to sit down beside him, saying, "Boss, why are you being so secretive? With your cultivation level, you should have a place in this market and even on the outskirts of the Demon Beast Forest. Why hide yourself like this?"

Liu Tianzhe sighed and said, "Sir, you may not know this, but the world is extremely dangerous, especially in this Central Region. I offended a powerful force in my early years, and they have been hunting me down ever since. To escape their pursuit, I had no choice but to hide my cultivation and live in anonymity in this market, running this small shop, hoping to live out the rest of my life in peace."

Yang Hongbo frowned and asked, "I wonder which power the boss has offended? Why are you so wary of him?"

Liu Tianzhe hesitated for a moment before saying, "To be honest, I offended a semi-hidden sect in the Central Region called the Blood Shadow Sect. The Blood Shadow Sect has many experts, and although I am at the mid-stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm, I am nothing more than an ant in their eyes."

Yang Hongbo felt a chill when he heard the term "semi-secluded world". Since entering the Central Region, he had heard that there were some reclusive families and semi-secluded sects here. These families or sects had many experts, and even the four great holy sects in the Central Region were not as powerful as them.

However, these reclusive families rarely interact with the outside world. Their existence is only revealed when their disciples venture out for training. They reside in small worlds, vast in size, rich in resources, and brimming with spiritual energy, making their members incredibly powerful.

Semi-reclusive sects are different from reclusive families. Although their small worlds are rich in spiritual energy, they are not as rich in resources as the outside world. Therefore, they often send their disciples to the outside world to find resources and bring them back to the sect.

The only thing semi-hidden sects and hidden families have in common is that they do not participate in external conflicts unless their disciples have made enemies with others outside the sect, in which case they will send people out to seek revenge.

He looked at Liu Tianzhe and said, "Since you've offended the Blood Shadow Sect, why don't you leave this Central Region and hide somewhere else?"

Liu Tianzhe shook his head with a wry smile: "Do you think I want to stay in this dangerous place? It's just that the Blood Shadow Sect is a powerful force with spies all over the Human Emperor Continent. Even if I leave here, I might not be able to escape their pursuit. Besides, I've lived in this market for many years and have developed some attachment to it. I really can't bear to leave now."

Yang Hongbo pondered for a moment and said, "Boss, I have an idea that might help you solve this Blood Shadow Sect problem."

Liu Tianzhe's eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed again. He said, "Please don't joke, sir. The Blood Shadow Sect is powerful; how could you and I deal with them so easily? However, I still thank you for your kindness."

Yang Hongbo smiled slightly and said, "Boss, don't underestimate me. While I wouldn't dare say I can contend with the entire Blood Shadow Sect, I'm confident I can help you escape their pursuit. Would you be willing to cooperate with me?"

"Although you can hide here and escape for a while, you'll eventually be exposed. And if you keep hiding, even a powerful cultivator in the Tribulation Transcending stage will have their resolve worn down, and then you'll truly become a dog!"

Liu Tianzhe's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Yang Hongbo, trying to discern the truth from his eyes. After a moment, he slowly said, "If you can truly help me escape the Blood Shadow Sect's pursuit, I, Liu Tianzhe, am willing to go through fire and water for you."

Thank you so much, handsome men and beautiful women, for reading this book. The author expresses his sincere gratitude!