Chapter 134: Earth Martial City

Earth Martial City is not far from Mount Wangwu, though it lies in the opposite direction from Heaven-Sealing City. The most distinct feature of Earth Martial City is that it lacks a city lord; instead, it is governed by a single clan, much like Huxia City.

"The Mo clan is the premier family of Earth Martial City, wielding the authority of a city lord. It is rumored that they have an ancestor who has reached the fifth stage of the Celestial Decay. They should possess a Tribulation-Transcending Pill."

In a tavern within Earth Martial City, Lin Fan sat by the window, observing the city from a height. This tavern belonged to the Mo clan, primarily used for gathering intelligence, as people from all walks of life frequented the establishment, inevitably leading to the circulation of various rumors.

"A while ago, there was great turmoil at Mount Wangwu, and earth-shattering events occurred. Even the Lord of our Ancient Buddha Domain was personally dispatched, along with many powerful figures at the Void-Breaking Realm."

"I have heard of this matter too, though the specific details remain unclear. It is only rumored that many died, and several major powers in the Ancient Buddha Domain, including the Purple Robe Pavilion and the Yi clan, suffered significant losses."

The speakers were a group of young men. News of the incident at Mount Wangwu had already spread far and wide, truly chilling the hearts of many. Lin Fan smiled slightly as he heard this, paying it little mind; he had heard people discussing Mount Wangwu throughout his entire journey, and he had long grown accustomed to it.

"It seems many managed to escape the slaughter at Mount Wangwu, though it is unclear what their fate will be." Lin Fan frowned, feeling a trace of worry. Since the Imperial Concubine had chosen to emerge, she must have had something to rely on, and with the countermeasures left behind by the Imperial Lord, it should not have been so easy to suppress her.

"This story has already spread: an ancient, formidable figure reawakened, bringing forth boundless calamity, only to be suppressed by powerful experts. In the end, the entire Mount Wangwu vanished from the Ancient Buddha Domain." Someone spoke up, revealing some secrets, and it was this information that piqued Lin Fan's interest.

"Mount Wangwu disappeared? Could it have been forcibly moved by the Spear of Judgment?" Lin Fan was puzzled, suspecting this to be the cause. However, he harbored another suspicion: that Mount Wangwu had been taken by the Ancient Buddha of Green Lotus into the Buddhist hell.

"How terrifying. What kind of era was the ancient age? With countless powerhouses capable of moving entire mountain ranges—it is truly unheard of." Sighs of amazement rose one after another, and the crowd shook their heads in shock.

"Times of chaos produce heroes. It seems the true great chaos is coming. With ancient powerhouses choosing to awaken, is there still any hope for us to make a name for ourselves?" A young man smiled bitterly, sensing immense pressure. This was natural; any powerhouse who could survive from the ancient age to the present must be an invincible figure, someone who could turn the world upside down at will. If such figures were to return, they would likely leave the current generation of experts gasping for air.

"That is not necessarily true. Ancient powerhouses surely cannot act recklessly. This world still has certain shackles that forbid their existence; otherwise, they would have emerged long ago." Someone held a contrary opinion, and they were not wrong. Take the Spear of Judgment, for instance; it could not manifest in the outside world for certain reasons, or else it would face a great catastrophe.

"Let us not talk about that. Powerhouses are made step by step. As long as we seize the opportunity, there will be a chance to rise. This world belongs to them, but even more so, it belongs to us." Some proud and ambitious young men spoke up, eager to rival the heavens, each displaying a formidable spirit.

"Who can say otherwise? A rising star emerged from the Mount Wangwu incident. Even the Purple Robe Pavilion and the Yi clan issued kill orders. You must know that if one were not a peerless genius, such a thing would never happen. I fear this person is already nearly invincible at Mount Wangwu, though the Lord’s Mansion of the Ancient Buddha Domain has yet to release any news." A middle-aged expert spoke. He was quite powerful, already at the peak of the Meridian-Condensing Realm, and it was highly likely he had walked out of Mount Wangwu alive.

"I have heard of this too. The person's name is Lin Fan. It is rumored that he is already a Celestial-level expert and has even slain those who have reached the second stage of Celestial Decay. However, I do not know what he did to cause those two families to issue such shameless kill orders." A young man snorted, clearly siding with Lin Fan.

"Indeed, those two families went too far, but nothing can be said about it. After all, they have stood tall in the Ancient Buddha Domain for many years with deep foundations; even the Lord's Mansion finds it difficult to intervene."

"The Purple Robe Pavilion is indeed powerful; an old Pavilion Master at the Void-Breaking Realm is enough to make everyone look up to them. But the Yi clan is different. Their foundation, the Nine-Section Whip, was lost at Mount Wangwu. The current Yi clan is nothing more than a second-rate family, not even comparable to the Mo clan of our Earth Martial City, because the Yi clan lacks any experts at the peak of the fifth stage of Celestial Decay; their family head has only just reached that stage."

Another explosive piece of news arrived, making Lin Fan feel that the trip was truly worthwhile. Lin Fan had not known that the Yi clan's Nine-Section Whip had not emerged from Mount Wangwu, but if this were true, the Yi clan was no longer a cause for concern.

"The Yi clan and the Purple Robe Pavilion are merely coveting my Bodhi seed and seeking to seize it by force. Hmph, I will leave the Purple Robe Pavilion for now; after all, they have an ancestor at the Void-Breaking Realm and an ancestral weapon. As for the Yi clan, I can certainly teach them a lesson."

Lin Fan pondered, his eyes narrowing as a trace of killing intent flashed through them.

"The Yi clan is hard to gauge. Their strength lies in their forbidden artifacts. It is said that besides the Nine-Section Whip, they possess other forbidden artifacts capable of unleashing Void-Breaking Realm combat power. Otherwise, the Yi clan would not have become the premier family of the Ancient Buddha Domain." Some looked down on the Yi clan, while others felt they could not be underestimated; at the very least, their forbidden artifacts were a trump card.

"Those forbidden artifacts are indeed worth noting." Lin Fan did not ignore this information. In his view, knowing oneself and the enemy ensures victory in every battle. The Yi clan's forbidden artifacts could be the key to shifting the tide of battle.

After listening for over an hour, Lin Fan chose to leave, as there were no more important messages to be gleaned—the rest was merely idle chatter and empty boasting. What Lin Fan needed to do now was not to clash with the Yi clan or the Purple Robe Pavilion, but to obtain the Tribulation-Transcending Pill to safely weather his Celestial Decay.

With this in mind, Lin Fan decided not to linger. He stood up and walked out of the tavern. Just then, a luxurious carriage pulled up outside, its curtains fluttering with a fragrant breeze. The carriage was drawn by two ferocious beasts at the Celestial Realm!

"What a grand display!" Lin Fan's gaze sharpened, and he cast a wary look at the beasts. He already had some guesses about the person inside.

"Young Master Lin, having traveled from afar, why not come to the Mo clan for a chat?" A melodious voice reached him, transmitted directly to his ears—clearly, she did not want Lin Fan's identity to be exposed. Upon hearing this, killing intent surged in Lin Fan, his blood pumping, showing signs of an imminent strike, for her words indicated that she already knew exactly who he was.