Chapter Twenty-Eight: Greenwood City

“What kind of person is this Prison Heaven, could he really be a spirit of an artifact? Such a ferocious artifact spirit is truly rare.” Lin Fan frowned; though his conversation with Prison Heaven had been pleasant, he still harbored doubts about the latter. Yet, at this moment, it seemed Prison Heaven had much to offer him, so Lin Fan refrained from probing further.

Just then, a warm force spread from his heart—Prison Heaven was fulfilling his promise, siphoning energy from the jade talisman for Lin Fan to devour.

“Peak of the seventh level of the physical body realm, power of three elephants… I wonder how many opponents I have below the Condensing Veins stage.” With a sweep of his arms, an immense strength gathered. An unprecedented sense of heroic ambition surged within Lin Fan, as if he wished to compete with the heavens themselves.

“Ahead, ten thousand miles, should be the first city within the territory of Ancient Red City. I wonder if there are any inhabitants left.” Lin Fan murmured to himself, fixed on a direction. Without further hesitation, he leapt forward, his speed now several times faster than before.

Greenwood City was not large; even within Ancient Red City’s domain, it ranked lowest among the cities, and was utterly insignificant within the Heavenly Martial Region. On this day, a solitary figure appeared at the city gates—dressed in white, handsome and spirited, it was Lin Fan.

“Along the way, I’ve slain many demons, and with Prison Heaven extracting energy from the jade talisman for me, I now possess the power of four elephants. Yet, the opportunity to break through remains elusive. Indeed, the greater the potential, the harder it is to advance.” Lin Fan muttered; five days of relentless slaughter and devouring had caused his strength to soar, but still he could not break through.

“What a quiet city. Yet the blood energy within is substantial—the population must be considerable. Why, then, is it so desolate, with not a single sound?” Prison Heaven’s voice contained a trace of confusion, pulling Lin Fan from his thoughts.

Under the setting sun, Greenwood City was eerily silent—no sound at all, as though it were a dead city. Yet the streets were clean and tidy, clearly maintained, which seemed strange indeed.

“Let’s go in and see.” After a moment’s contemplation, Lin Fan decided to enter. Cultivators ought to forge ahead, severing inner demons; nothing should stand in their way.

Once inside, Lin Fan’s doubts deepened. Every household’s door was wide open, as though awaiting someone to enter.

“Could they be waiting for someone?” Lin Fan murmured, and chose a tavern.

The tavern was small, yet inside it was packed with people, each one terrified. Seeing Lin Fan enter, they all fell to their knees at once.

“Spare us, Grand Demon, spare us!”

“There are no cultivators left in the city. Grand Demon, please go elsewhere.” …

A cacophony of voices rose and fell, making Lin Fan’s head ache. Yet he understood their meaning: they were begging for their lives.

“Stand up, all of you. I am not a demon, nor do I know what has happened here. I am a disciple of the Heavenly Capital Sect, merely passing through.” Lin Fan waved his hand, signaling them to rise, but not a single person moved, believing Lin Fan was deliberately testing them.

“This is servility.” Lin Fan’s eyes were tinged with sorrow; he understood their thoughts and felt a surge of pity.

With a thunderous shout, as if a heavenly thunder had exploded, he commanded, “All of you, get up and tell me what happened.”

He knew that with people such as these, only strength would suffice; otherwise, none would listen.

Sure enough, after his shout, no one dared utter another word.

“Sir… Sir, are you truly a disciple of the Heavenly Capital Sect, and not one of those demons?” an elderly man stammered, unable to meet Lin Fan’s gaze.

“No need to doubt. Stand up, all of you. I am a disciple of the Heavenly Capital Sect.” In Lin Fan’s hand appeared the Azure Dragon Token—the sect’s emblem, renowned throughout the Heavenly Martial Region. Once he produced it, everyone recognized it instantly.

“Sir, save us! The Heavenly Capital Sect is the greatest power in the region; surely you have the means to rescue us.” Upon seeing the Azure Dragon Token, hope ignited in the eyes of the crowd, believing Lin Fan was here to save them.

“First, tell me what happened. Stand up.” Lin Fan shook his head, helping the elderly man who’d spoken. Seeing this, the others also rose.

“Sir, you do not know,” the old man’s voice trembled, as if recalling a dreadful scene.

“Greenwood City was once a small, peaceful place, everyone living in harmony. But three months ago, everything changed. A group arrived from who knows where, killing everyone they saw. All the cultivators in the city were slaughtered—horrifically, with bones dug out and hearts cut open. They were demons, true demons.” The sound of gasps spread through the room, and even Lin Fan frowned, though he quickly focused on something crucial.

“You said—a group of people?” Lin Fan emphasized the word ‘people,’ but then mocked himself. If they were demons, they wouldn’t have left survivors; everyone would have been massacred.

The thought made him even angrier. If it were demons, so be it—his enmity with them was deep as the sea. But if it was humans, then it was truly vile. What hatred could drive them to such extremes?

“That’s right, a group of people. We secretly sent someone to Ancient Red City, hoping someone powerful would come to slay the demons. But after our messenger left, there was no word, no news at all.” The old man shook his head and sighed, his eyes full of helplessness and sorrow.

“So that’s how it is. But Ancient Red City is no longer what it once was—the situation there is even worse. True demons have emerged, and Ancient Red City is surely their first target. Yet, there are people profiting from the chaos, robbing the dead… They’re courting death.” Lin Fan sighed, but did not reveal the city’s current state, lest it increase their panic or rob them of hope.

“Things will get better. First, tell me—how many of these so-called demons are there?” Lin Fan asked, refraining from exposing the truth.

“There aren’t many—no more than ten—but each is powerful beyond measure. We had no one to oppose them. It seems there is even an immortal of the Condensing Veins stage among them.” Hearing this, Lin Fan was deeply shaken. The Condensing Veins stage was a lofty realm—how could someone of that caliber be involved in such matters?

“Impossible. The Condensing Veins stage is powerful and proud, and would never stoop so low. Even if they were to kill, it would be their peers, not the weak. Such slaughter would violate their heart’s path, and they would be plagued by inner demons, doomed to a burial without peace.” Lin Fan pondered, rejecting the old man’s claim of a Condensing Veins stage expert, yet his heart was full of doubts. He sensed something strange about this group, and even the emergence of the demons seemed somehow amiss.