The radiant glow of a ninth-grade pill instantly blinded the cultivator's titanium alloy dog eyes.
Though he couldn't discern its exact grade, he knew it was top-tier!
A pill of this caliber was beyond his wildest dreams.
Faced with such sudden fortune, he felt no joy.
Instead, an overwhelming sense of dread filled his heart…
He yearned for a supreme pill, but feared he wouldn't live to use it…
After all, this was Ge Shan City!
A place rumored to be a forbidden zone…
A land of death with no return.
He suddenly wished he could slap himself several times!
"Damn it, why did I blab!"
He should have just said he didn't know!
"Is there anything troubling you?" Ye Fan asked, noticing his hesitation.
"Senior, that Ge Shan City is simply too dangerous, practically a forbidden zone…" the cultivator said, mustering his courage. "This junior… I…"
"It's alright," Ye Fan smiled faintly. "Just bring us to the vicinity of Ge Shan City."
Ye Fan found the words "dangerous" and "forbidden zone" quite appealing!
Dangerous was good!
He loved danger!
Especially the kind that could kill people!
With Ye Fan's words, the cultivator dared not refuse further.
After eating their fill, the cultivator led them eastward.
They flew for a full half a month!
Finally, the group landed in a barren mountain range.
"Seniors," the cultivator pointed ahead. "Another ten thousand li east, and you'll reach Ge Shan City."
"Thank you for your trouble," Ye Fan handed over the agreed-upon reward.
The cultivator accepted the pill, offered his thanks, and departed.
Ten thousand li was not a long distance.
The entrance to Ge Shan City was a narrow gorge, with a giant stone slab suspended in mid-air.
Three large, blood-red characters were carved onto the slab.
Ge Shan City.
On the ground stood a colossal stone tablet, also bearing eight blood-red characters.
City of Sin, No Entry Without Return!
Ye Fan raised an eyebrow.
Interesting!
"It seems Ge Shan City is truly not a pleasant place," the little demoness remarked, seeing the inscription.
"If you find it too dangerous, you can stay behind," Ye Fan replied casually.
"Are you kidding me!" The little demoness bared her teeth fiercely and brandished her small fist. "I am the little demoness! They should be the ones afraid of me!"
Ye Fan couldn't help but scoff internally.
If the demon race was filled with creatures like her, they were doomed.
The narrow gorge was not long, and the two passed through it in about ten minutes.
Ye Fan blinked in surprise at the scene before him.
In the fields not far away, several figures were bent over, toiling.
Wisps of smoke curled lazily from the scattered houses of a village.
Elders sat in groups, playing chess, or sat alone, basking leisurely in the sun.
Young children frolicked and played within the village…
Such a scene of pastoral tranquility seemed utterly incongruous with the words "City of Sin."
Moreover, amidst these mountains and fields, it hardly resembled a "city."
When things are too good to be true, there's usually a catch.
The calmer it seemed, the more dangerous it might be!
However, Ye Fan didn't dwell on it.
The more dangerous, the happier he would be!
"Elder brother," Ye Fan asked a farmer as they passed by. "Is this Ge Shan City?"
"You're wondering why you don't see a city, aren't you?" the farmer wiped the sweat from his brow and chuckled. "This is just the outskirts of Ge Shan City. The city itself is further towards the center."
"Thank you," Ye Fan said politely and moved on.
The villagers merely glanced at Ye Fan and his companion before returning to their tasks.
The children peeked from behind hiding places, seemingly wanting to approach but hesitating.
Before long, the two passed through the village.
"Apart from a few Foundation Establishment stage fluctuations, I can't sense any other cultivation levels," the little demoness murmured. "Either they're all concealing their powers, or they're truly just ordinary people."
As she spoke, she furrowed her brow slightly, appearing worried.
If it were the former, then this City of Sin was far more complex than she imagined.
However, the thought of the mysterious senior beside Ye Fan put her at ease.
"It's more likely they're ordinary people," Ye Fan replied casually.
He had encountered such places, referred to as Cities of Sin, before.
These places typically allocated living areas based on strength.
The stronger one was, the closer they lived to the center and the more resources they could access.
This place was likely similar.
After all, it was a world where strength was paramount.
Over the next few days, they encountered several more scattered villages, all appearing much the same.
As dusk approached, they arrived at a small town.
The town was not large, appearing no different from a town in the mortal world.
Most of the passersby were ordinary people in coarse cloth, though occasionally a cultivator in a daoist robe could be seen.
According to the little demoness, the highest cultivation level among them was only at the second layer of Golden Core.
Finding the town's only inn, Ye Fan took lodging.
Dinner was also at the inn.
Though Ye Fan enjoyed cooking, he wasn't a picky eater.
The little demoness, on the other hand, was extremely dissatisfied with the inn's food.
After a few bites, she refused to eat another.
Ye Fan paid her no mind, continuing his meal and drink.
After all, eating wasn't a necessity for the little demoness; she wouldn't starve without it.
The inn appeared to have few customers, with only two or three tables occupied in the large hall.
Ye Fan seemed to recall something and beckoned the innkeeper over.
"Guest, is the food unsatisfactory?" the innkeeper asked nervously.
"No, I just have a question," Ye Fan explained. "We just arrived today. Are there any rules in Ge Shan City?"
"There is only one rule," the innkeeper said seriously. "Survive!"
Ye Fan:…
That was…
Truly concise.
"Bang—!"
A loud crash interrupted their conversation.
A figure smashed through the door and landed heavily on a table in the hall.
Upon impact, several more tables and chairs were broken.
"Crash!"
Ye Fan glanced over.
The person appeared to be a cultivator, and judging by their condition, severely injured.
"Cough cough…" the figure coughed a few times and struggled to stand.
After several attempts, he failed.
"Swish swish!"
Two flying swords shot out, piercing the man's legs.
More precisely, they were two flying swords made of ice.
A burst of cold air enveloped the man's legs in a layer of frost.
Undoubtedly, those two legs were now completely ruined.
The attack ceased at this point.
Throughout the entire ordeal, the attacker never revealed themselves.
"They've already left," the little demoness explained. "A third-layer Golden Core cultivator."
"Boy, hurry up and clean this up," the innkeeper casually instructed.
Ye Fan noticed the innkeeper showed no surprise or fear, as if accustomed to such events.
The attendants swiftly removed the unfortunate individual and began cleaning the scene.
Their practiced movements suggested this was not an infrequent occurrence.
Ye Fan nodded to himself.
This was more like it – the true Ge Shan City!
After eating his fill, Ye Fan went upstairs.
The little demoness initially wanted to share a room with him but was sent back to her own by Ye Fan.
However, Ye Fan did not sleep well that night.
From time to time, sounds of fighting and cultivators' screams echoed from the streets, occurring seven or eight times throughout the night.
It wasn't until dawn that the commotion finally died down…