Chapter 414: The City of Wuliu

By the time Yin Tianci and eight Heaven Immortals descended deep into the abyss, the black storm from before had vanished.

The mountains in the depths of the abyss had crumbled, and all the demons had been blown away. There was nothing all around.

"Your Highness, thank goodness we didn't descend immediately. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to observe such a show," one Heaven Immortal joked.

"What did all of you think about the storm from just now?" Yin Tianci asked.

"We Heaven Immortals would have been able to shield ourselves from its onslaught, but Xiao Nanfeng can't do so at all. All of them were blown away, which indicates that their strongest cultivators are Earth Immortals at best. The only reason Xiao Nanfeng was able to display such strength was because he possesses incredible treasures," one Heaven Immortal said.

"Right. Isn't he lucky? His copper blade can slay Yin, and his imperial seal can even lay claim to the Goat Yanluo's Yanluo Court. A cultivator at Yin Body doesn't deserve so many priceless treasures." Yin Tianci narrowed his eyes.

"Your Highness, you mean..." a Heaven Immortal trailed off.

"Rather than fight the Yanluo Lords for treasure, why don't we take down Xiao Nanfeng first? We'll meet up back here. Everyone will scatter to search for the whereabouts of Xiao Nanfeng and his subordinates, then head back within ten days. We must find Xiao Nanfeng. Also, I want that formations expert, Blue Lantern, alive," Yin Tianci demanded.

"Understood!" everyone replied.

𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"That storm was potent, but it couldn't have blown them too far away. Let's go!"

"Understood!" Yin Tianci's subordinates began to search all around them.

The black storm had blown Xiao Nanfeng an interminable distance.

He fell toward a valley, but caught himself and flew up into the sky in time. He circled his surroundings, only to discover that he was far away from the entrance to the abyss. He didn't know where he was. There were forests, mountains, and countless fog all around him, making it hard for him to discern his whereabouts following Qu Jianfeng's map.

"Please spare me, cursed deity! I came out to pick herbs for my sick son," someone suddenly cried out, begging earnestly.

Xiao Nanfeng turned to see a middle-aged man kowtowing on the ground.

"Isn't this the Netherworld Palace? What are living humans doing here?" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed, flying over.

"Please spare me, cursed deity! I had no other choice. That's why I didn't make it back to the city last night," the middle-aged man continued to plead.

"There's no need for all this. I'm no cursed deity. I'm a human," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"You're not a cursed deity?" the middle-aged man gaped in surprise.

"Where are we? I'm lost," Xiao Nanfeng said.

"If you're not a cursed deity, could you be a human demon?!" the middle-aged man exclaimed.

"What's that?"

"Our city lord said that human demons exist outside the city. At nighttime, they wander about in search of humans to devour. That's why we're not allowed to go out at night, but I know that human demons don't consume humans at all. They fight against the cursed deities and all possess some method of prolonging their lives."

"Oh? There are cities here?"

"Right! Our city is right there." The middle-aged man knelt and began to kowtow again. "Sir Human Demon, I'm about to reach the end of my life. Won't you teach me how to cultivate and live longer?"

"What's your name?"

"I'm Yang San."

"Don't call me a human demon. My name is Xiao Nanfeng."

"Understood, Sir!"

"Yang San, where's your city? Can you bring me over to have a look?"

"Of course. Please follow me, Sir. However, your appearance is far too noble. Others will easily notice that something is amiss."

"That's easy to resolve," Xiao Nanfeng said.

He materialized a middle-aged man's attire with his spiritual power.

"Please follow me, Sir," Yang San said.

"Very well."

Xiao Nanfeng flew with Yang San toward the city.

By then, it was dawn. The sun rose up from the east, but the hidden realm was covered with such a dense layer of clouds that it still seemed dark and gloomy even in daytime.

Trying to search for Lady Yaoguang alone would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Xiao Nanfeng would need tremendous manpower, and a city was where people gathered.

Within no time at all, Yang San brought him to a city shrouded by fog.

"Sir, this is the city of Wuliu," Yang San introduced warmly.

"It's not a particularly large city, but there's a defensive formation around it..." Xiao Nanfeng noted in surprise.

The gates to the city were open and bustling with activity as people walked outside. The guards were fully dressed in armor; no one could see what they looked like. However, Xiao Nanfeng instantly detected an aura of rot emanating from them.

"What strange guards," he said.

He reined in his aura and followed Yang San in. He probed vaguely at them with his spiritual power and found that they were demons.

"Are all the guards in the city like this?" Xiao Nanfeng asked.

"They are. They never speak to us and kill without batting an eye. All they listen to are the cursed deities," Yang San replied.

The guards didn't check the identities of anyone entering or exiting the city. They stood motionless like statues. Xiao Nanfeng walked into the city to find that it was basically the same as those aboveworld.

Just then, a group of ox-headed humanoids flew across the air, straight toward the heart of the city.

"Those are the cursed deities of the city lord's manor," Yang San explained.

"They're just cursed effigies. Do they style themselves as cursed deities?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned and asked, "Is your city lord like that, too?"

"He is. Our city lord's a cursed horse deity. Not too long ago, a cursed ox deity flew into the city lord's manor as well."

Xiao Nanfeng blinked in surprise. "In other words, these cursed deities are in control of a city composed wholly of humans?"

"Aren't you aware of this, Sir? This is how it's always been in our city. The cursed deities manage us and arrange for several of us, whom we all respect, to help manage the city's inner workings."

Xiao Nanfeng nodded. As they walked across the streets of the city and he looked around, he frowned. "Why aren't there any old people around?"

"What are old people?"

"People who have lived for many years—those of you in your seventies or eighties, for example," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"What? They don't exist! Except for human demons, everyone only lives for forty-five years. I'm forty-two, and I only have three years of life left," Yang San said.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. He inspected Yang San carefully, only to find nothing wrong with his body. In fact, he was perfectly healthy. Why would he die in three years?

"The annual mourning period's going to start in a few days," Yang San sighed.

"What mourning period?" Xiao Nanfeng seemed more and more confused.

"All those who are forty-five will die within the next few days. Aren't you aware?" Yang San exclaimed.

Within the city lord's manor in the city of Wuliu, one horse-headed humanoid asked a group of his peers that had just returned, "Have you finished the investigation? Where did the huge storm last night come from?"

"A group of strong cultivators emerged from the mouth of the abyss and bullied the guards until they had no choice but to rouse Heaven's Hand in order to escape. They just went to report the news to the king."

"Oh? As long as it's not war between two great Yanluo Lords. No matter what Immortals descend into the abyss, they'll all just die. Well, nothing for us to worry about. Let's prepare for a feast before we present our tithe," the city lord said.

"Very well. It's been a year since I've reaped the souls of hale and hearty humans. A feast!" the horse-headed humanoids all cheered.