Any chance the dip-stick got switched and an incorrect one installed? Are we talking about the 318 (5.2L) Chrysler engine? Many of those engines held 6 quarts of oil, almost 7 with a new filter…Have you tried adding oil until it showed on the stick? Have you tried turning the stick over to read it?
If the oil pan held a quart more than expected, the oil still should show on the dipstick unless you were pretty low.
I have had and seen others that the oil was VERY difficult to read on the dipstick. There was oil on the stick, you just couldn’t see where it ended