Three days later, Rongcheng.
Within a hundred-mile radius of the Ghost City of Fengdu, there were three cities separated from the ghost city by generations: Cibei City, Rongcheng, and Huacheng.
According to their geographical distribution, Cibei City was the closest, while Rongcheng was the farthest. However, for cultivators capable of flying, this distance was not an issue.
Compared to the solemn stone city of Cibei City, Rongcheng could be considered the only city with "greenery" in the vicinity of Fengdu.
Although "Huacheng" had "flower" in its name, there wasn't a single potted plant or tree in the city. In fact, Huacheng could be said to be the most chaotic and disorderly city among the three.
Unlike Cibei City, which only accommodated women who wished to devote themselves to Buddhism and become nuns, or the City Lord of Rongcheng, who had absolute control over the city's residents, Huacheng had always been known for its freedom, welcoming anyone to settle there. There were no rules or restrictions; only one condition: one must bear the surname "Hua."
A large portion of Cibei City was destroyed. Abbess Huiming and others rushed to Rongcheng and told the City Lord of Rongcheng everything that had happened. His face was grim, clearly enraged by Fengdu's insatiable greed and malevolence. After a moment of thought, he notified the City Lord of Huacheng, and the three cities entered a secret closed-door meeting.
On the stone-combed flowing walls of Rongcheng, a walkway with single handrails ascended in a tiered fashion, and a group of people were walking in order.
A ray of light streaked across the horizon.
"Lu Ziyin, long time no see. How come you, a butterfly, are everywhere? You even dare to wade into this muddy water of Fengdu?"
A clear, teasing voice echoed from above. Rulan, dressed in a light green fringed skirt, stood with her arms crossed, her face filled with cheerful amusement.
Lu Ziyin was startled. He looked up and saw her, a hint of joy from reuniting with an old friend in his eyes.
He retorted with a smirk, "If you can come with such thick skin, why can't I? It's been so many years. Has your cultivation improved?"
The moment these two met, they began their verbal sparring, ignoring everyone else.
Fu Wanyan and Rulan had never been close, but she still followed the rules and paid her respects to Rulan, "Senior Sister."
Rulan raised an eyebrow, her smile diminishing slightly. She glanced at her, "Junior Sister Fu."
Then, she saw her elder brother looking at her. His eyes, as clear and tranquil as flowing water, held a different warmth as they focused on her.
Rulan was no longer the immature girl of her teens. She gradually understood her brother's choices back then and appreciated his silent protection and concern. He hadn't abandoned her; rather, she had always taken advantage of his good nature, selfishly demanding that he accommodate her.
Rulan grinned at Chenghong, no longer hesitant to be affectionate with him in front of others. With a clear conscience, she called out, "Brother, have you been well lately?"
Chenghong clearly hadn't expected Rulan to respond publicly. He was taken aback for a moment, then lowered his gaze and said gently, "Everything is well."
Some of the people present knew about the relationship between these siblings, while others were unaware.
For instance, Liu Jiangfusheng and Yan Tianjiao.
However, Lu Ziyin and Fu Wanyan knew. One knew thanks to the powerful intelligence network of his Lu family, while the other knew because Nan Yuan Shangzun had inadvertently mentioned it once or twice.
But Liu Jiangfusheng and Yan Tianjiao had always been indifferent to such matters. Even if they knew, they didn't react much differently.
Chenghong seemed to think this was an opportunity to strengthen his bond with Rulan. He proactively inquired, "This time, are you the only one from Wushuang Realm?"
Rulan moved closer, lifting her chin slightly, suggesting they stop standing and talk as they walked.
She said, "Of course not. You have no idea how big of a deal this Fengdu incident has become."
Lu Ziyin interjected, "What's become a big deal?"
Rulan's expression turned serious. "This time, Fengdu is no longer a minor skirmish. Elders and deacons from all realms have sent cloud-lightning messages as warnings. Although this matter hasn't been fully publicized, I know that we cultivators and the ghost cultivators will surely have a tough battle ahead."
Everyone fell silent for a moment. Liu Jiangfusheng still had his face hidden by a wide white hood, accompanied by two subordinates dressed similarly. Le Bao had been settled in Rongcheng. He lowered his head, and Rulan didn't notice who he was.
"So, the people who have come this time are all powerful individuals. Not to mention anything else, have you heard of the Demon Butcher of Xianxi Cave?"
"Demon Butcher?"
Upon mentioning this name, no one present was unfamiliar with it.
He was, after all, a figure that all practitioners of demonic arts feared.
The Demon Butcher wasn't always called the Demon Butcher. He once had a normal name. But later, after single-handedly sealing the demon realm passage, he killed more than half of the demons who remained in the cultivation world.
This gave him a famous and widely known moniker—Demon Butcher.
He was a predecessor in the cultivation world who had become almost demonic, an idol that juniors took pride in.
"Yes, him. Don't you want to witness the proud demeanor of Senior Demon Butcher? Also, many people from Xingyun Mountain, Xianxi Cave, and Liuming Sect have also arrived..." She glanced at Yan Tianjiao, who still had that cold and arrogant face from years ago, as if saying, "You ants, don't talk to me."
"Since so many powerful people have come, you still have the nerve to just join in the numbers," Lu Ziyin said contemptuously, looking at her.
Rulan rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "Stop your cheap talk. This is just the vanguard. Who knows, perhaps even my master, Nan Yuan Shangzun, will have to take the battlefield. I heard that even Wushang Mansion has been alerted..." She paused here and whispered in a tone as if sharing a secret, "Have you heard of Wushuang Mansion? The deacons and elders will be coming to Rongcheng with people from Wushuang Mansion shortly."
Every fifty years, the Twenty-Eight Heavens would select ten highly respected deacons and elders from certain qualified sects. These sects were formed from the most prosperous immortal sects into an alliance called the Immortal Alliance, which was specifically responsible for handling various difficult and complex issues that arose within the Twenty-Eight Heavens.
If any sect below requested their help or faced difficulties, the deacon or elder responsible for that region would dispatch disciples from their sect after reviewing the circumstances.
The chosen individuals would naturally vary depending on the difficulty of the task.
As for "Wushuang Mansion," it was another special region in the Ruoshui Wushang Realm. It was surrounded by the sea, inaccessible by boat or flight, and had no roads leading to it. It was said that Wushuang Mansion generally only appeared when the Twenty-Eight Heavens faced major crises. It played a significant role in maintaining the long-lasting peace within the Twenty-Eight Heavens amidst various man-made and natural disasters.
The arrival of people from "Wushuang Mansion" at this moment—doesn't that indicate the severity of the situation?