On the yellow dirt road below, a large mercenary group of nearly a hundred people charged toward the fortress, shouting loudly as they went.
Judging by their uniforms, they belonged to the same mercenary corps. A group of this size could already be considered mid-tier within the Jia Ma Empire.
Because Zhen Gui Pass lay along the border, its chaotic atmosphere was favored by many mercenary groups.
Rather than safely hunting magical beasts, they preferred becoming war mercenaries....joining conflicts on behalf of one side in exchange for enormous rewards.
Such rewards were lucrative, but the risks were equally terrifying.
On the battlefield....an unrelenting meat grinder....even a force of several hundred could be wiped out entirely in a moment of miscalculation.
Passing through this massive fortress and traveling eastward for roughly a thousand li—through several small nations and tribal land ....one would arrive at the infamous region known throughout the continent: the Black Corner Region.
Due to its unique geography, the Black Corner Region had become the most chaotic land on the continent.
Countless fugitives and fallen powerhouses from various nations gathered there, forming the most savage system imaginable.
Within the Black Corner Region, there were no laws....only one rule: the law of the jungle.
In other words, the strong devoured the weak. The weak had no rights whatsoever.
At the same time, the Black Corner Region could also be called the continent's greatest information crossroads.
Countless pieces of intelligence flowed out each day, while countless others flowed in.
To put it bluntly, if one wanted to become famous....truly renowned across the continent—the Black Corner Region offered the fastest shortcut.
Of course, the prerequisite was strength. Without it, fame would not arrive.....only death.
As a land synonymous with chaos, the Black Corner Region lived up to its name.
Every day, powerful figures died, and every day, new ones poured in.
Death, danger, temptation, and opportunity filled the region, along with an endless stream of rare treasures.
Naturally, obtaining such treasures required payment—whether in gold or other valuable items.
Humans seemed to possess an innate attraction to chaos and darkness.
Thus, even knowing the dangers surrounding the Black Corner Region, countless people continued to flock there relentlessly.
Some sought rapid fame. Others pursued advanced cultivation techniques, Dou Skills, pills, or unimaginable wealth. Regardless of motive, this endless influx of people kept the Black Corner Region alive with constant activity.
Perhaps due to the principle of extremes reversing, at the very heart of the Black Corner Region stood the renowned Canaan Academy.
Within a certain radius around the academy lay a zone of peace.
For countless years, anyone who dared bring the region's brutal customs into this area would face Canaan Academy's merciless judgment....often paying with their lives.
Many on the continent wondered why such a chaotic region existed alongside an ancient and dignified academy.
But existence itself was the answer.
Despite years of suppression, the Black Corner Region continued expanding at a staggering pace, displaying a near-immortal resilience that left even its enemies feeling powerless.
Its territory had grown so vast that it now resembled a clearly defined minor nation.
The only difference was that other empires had emperors, alliance leaders, or sect masters at the top.
Here, every faction fought for itself....endless struggle, slaughter, and chaos, scattered like loose sand.
Yet it was precisely this state of disorder that allowed the Black Corner Region to thrive at the continent's center.
Otherwise, no major power would tolerate such a dangerous region growing unchecked.
Ye Chen chose to come here precisely because of this chaos.
With his current strength, aside from a handful of exceptional figures, virtually no one in the Black Corner Region posed a threat to him.
Any treasure that caught his eye could be taken at will.
In a land steeped in slaughter, even outright plunder carried no moral burden.
After confirming his route, Ye Chen moved forward at full speed.
The distance between the Jia Ma Empire and the Black Corner Region was immense, requiring passage through several small nations.
Traveling by foot or carriage would take at least three to five months....possibly even half a year.
But now that Ye Chen had broken through to Dou Zong, such distances were meaningless.
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