In the Taichu Continent, demonic cultivators are seen as outcasts. Because demonic cultivators often seek quick success and instant benefits, their cultivation level improves greatly in a short time, but the result is destroying their foundation, making it impossible to advance further.

Moreover, in order to absorb yin to nourish yang, or absorb yang to nourish yin, demonic cultivators often use people as furnaces to enhance their own power. Their cultivation methods are too domineering, causing great changes in their state of mind, making them impetuous and prone to killing. Therefore, in top sects like Shangxuan Sect and Tianyan Sect, once disciples are discovered to be cultivating demonic ways, they are immediately expelled.

Although Zhou Yin was a demonic cultivation master in his previous life, he also could not deny that many demonic cultivators often took shortcuts in order to achieve the Great Dao early, resulting in them reaping what they sowed. Someone like Zhou Yin, who chose a path even more arduous than Dao cultivators and Buddha cultivators, must have unwavering willpower to persist through the long and bitter cultivation.

Because of this, with Zhou Yin's discerning eye, he easily saw Yu Nuo's abnormality. The evil aura between Yu Nuo's brows was faintly revealed, his originally gentle temperament became sharp and oppressive, and his speech was full of arrogance. He had clearly entered the demonic path, otherwise it would be impossible for him to advance to the ranks of cultivation experts in just a few short years.

Zhou Yin briefly mentioned the details of their meeting.

Zhou Chen laughed, "This person's will is not firm, who knows what temptation made him enter the demonic path. But there's no need to remind him. One should take responsibility for one's own actions."

Zhou Yin said indifferently, "With his temperament, even if reminded, it would be useless."

Zhou Chen asked, "In your opinion, does he also want to leave?"

Zhou Yin nodded, "He just asked me if I had eaten anything here."

Zhou Chen frowned, "So you mean, after eating something here, one can no longer leave?"

Zhou Yin said, "Perhaps this place has been a trap from beginning to end."

Zhou Chen said, "Luring countless people in, trapping them here, fighting bitterly over so-called spiritual herbs and immortal medicines, not knowing that as long as they eat even a little, they can never leave again. So we've never heard of anyone being favored by the city lord and allowed to leave, and we've never heard rumors of the city lord leaving either."

The two looked at each other, feeling their speculation was already eighty to ninety percent correct.

Zhou Chen clicked his tongue and shook his head, "Who was the fool that came up with such a method, it's truly vicious!"

Zhou Yin was not very surprised. "Perhaps it was the residence owner, perhaps someone else. To put it bluntly, it just exploits human greed. If not greedy, why would one eat the things here?"

Zhou Chen laughed, "What my little Yin Yin said is the absolute truth! You don't know what I saw when I went to meet that City Lord Ma. In terms of judging human nature, that city lord is also quite skilled. He spared no effort, using all sorts of means to win people over.

"I heard there's even a so-called South Steward who has been here even longer than the city lord, also with many high-level cultivators under him, discreetly rivaling the city lord. The city lord is wary of his growing power but unable to eliminate him for now, so he can only endure. In the small Cloud Dream City, the intrigue and power struggles are no less intense than the outside world."

Zhou Yin listened indifferently without commenting. No matter how intelligent, demons beasts are still demons, not true humans, so Zhou Chen could not understand why people are so obsessed with fame and fortune. Even those with the highest cultivation find it hard to transcend the mundane.

When Nüwa created humans, she gave them a clever heart, but probably never anticipated that countless years later, humans would become the masters of the continent, constantly scheming against each other without end.

The moon rose high, just past midnight.

Yu Nuo arrived silently in a black cloak, immediately noticing Zhou Chen at first glance. In his view, Zhou Chen was a Nascent Soul cultivator, far more valuable than Zhou Yin. With him here, the chances of success were greater. So he focused all his attention on exchanging pleasantries with Zhou Chen.

"You haven't eaten anything here, right?" He asked again.

"No." It was Zhou Chen who answered.

Yu Nuo breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. If you eat anything here, you can never leave again."

Zhou Yin asked, "Why?"

Yu Nuo said, "It's said to be a rule left behind when the cave was first opened."

Zhou Chen asked, "You knew from the start not to eat?"

Yu Nuo said, "Let me start from the beginning."

"Like you, I heard the legend of Lianyin Immortal Residence outside and wanted to come take a look. Who knew I got lucky and after passing a checkpoint, was directly transported here, earlier than you all. After hearing about the rules here, I went to see the city lord and presented the Vast Sea Star Chart to him."

At this point, Yu Nuo glanced at Zhou Yin, "City Lord Ma Dong was indeed shocked by the Vast Sea Star Chart and immediately gave me the position of North Steward. After taking office at the Northern Hall, I inadvertently discovered a secret."

He paused. Seeing that Zhou Chen and the others showed no intention of asking further, he had no choice but to continue, "The previous North Steward offended Ma Dong and was killed by him as a result. But that steward had anticipated this early on and left a secret in a hidden place in the hall. This secret had a unique restriction placed on it, so it was not discovered by others. But I saw it by chance."

"This secret is that the exit passage is in a dry well behind Ma Dong's palace garden, sealed by over a dozen restrictions placed by Ma Dong. Because Ma Dong himself has eaten things here, he can never leave again."

Yu Nuo mocked, "So he doesn't want to let anyone leave and doesn't want people to know this secret. Otherwise, if everyone left, he would not be able to command anyone."

"The people in the city have no idea about this secret. Even if they've eaten things here, they still cling to a sliver of hope, willingly obeying Ma Dong's orders, hoping that one day Ma Dong will show mercy and let them leave."

Zhou Chen said, "Among the cultivators who came after Ma Dong, weren't there any with cultivation surpassing his?"

Yu Nuo understood his meaning and said, "There are, but Ma Dong himself is already at the Nascent Soul stage. Plus, he has countless powerful magic treasures inherited from previous city lords, so no one can really do anything to him."

He sighed, "The people here are as if sealed. No matter how high their cultivation, they can never leave for all eternity."

Zhou Chen said, "Even if human nature is greedy, there should always be one or two lucky ones who manage to escape. But since this place only opens once every hundred years, how come there have never been any rumors?"

Yu Nuo laughed, "Brother Daoist has already reached the Nascent Soul stage, how can you be so ignorant of human nature? Even if someone got out and said something, who would believe them? Others would just think he's trying to prevent more people from getting the good things inside. Besides, leaving here, who knows where one would be teleported to. In this lifetime, busy with closed-door cultivation, there's no time to spare, let alone revisiting old places to deal with these matters?"

Zhou Chen said indifferently, "I am indeed ignorant of human nature."

He was just stating a fact, but Yu Nuo thought he had offended him and hurriedly laughed, "Brother Daoist is too modest. It's just that I've stayed here a bit longer, so I've seen a bit more."

Zhou Yin suddenly said, "With just the three of us, how can we rival Ma Dong? Do you have other helpers?"

Yu Nuo said, "For dealing with Ma Dong, I have someone else in mind. The South Steward Lang Kun has long been at odds with him, and has also been secretly cultivating his own forces. I plan to reveal this secret with some true and false details to Lang Kun, and let them kill each other. When the time is about right, we'll find an opportunity to leave. As for the more than a dozen restrictions on that dry well, I'll have to trouble you two."

Zhou Yin said, "This deal is very fair."

Yu Nuo looked at Zhou Chen.

Zhou Chen said, "His opinion is my opinion."

Yu Nuo was stunned for a moment and asked hesitantly, "Your relationship is..."

Zhou Chen said, "Brothers."

The two looked nothing alike. Zhou Chen was currently using the Rejuvenation Pill, looking enchantingly beautiful, completely different from Zhou Yin. His word "brothers" made Yu Nuo even more suspicious.

Yu Nuo looked at them for a while, seeming to understand a little. He assumed Zhou Yin was dependent on Zhou Chen, becoming something like his boy toy. He thought to himself that although Zhou Yin looked cold and spoke little, he didn't expect someone to like that type.

While thinking this, he gave Zhou Chen a knowing smile.

Zhou Yin could clearly see through his thoughts, but was just too lazy to bother. However, Zhou Chen's killing intent suddenly rose.

Setting reminder:

1. I made a really stupid mistake. For the same place, I gave it three names. At first, I wrote "Huanxi City", then I had a brain fart and forgot, so I called it "Jixiang Tian". Finally, it became "Cloud Dream City". And surprisingly, no one noticed, which cracked me up== Now I've unified it as "Cloud Dream City".

2. The "Vast Sea Star Chart" that appears in this chapter is the magic weapon that Yu Nuo chose from the Flood Dragon when he was with Zhou Yin earlier.