The three of them drank and chatted.
Not many words were exchanged, mostly just drinking.
Finally, Monk Meng put down his wine cup and said, "City Lord Chen, your troubles... have arrived."
"Yes."
Chen Fa gave a bitter smile.
He had originally thought Monk Meng and the Angler were the biggest problems.
Just as he resolved the issues with those two, someone else arrived.
"Sigh."
This City Lord position was indeed difficult to inherit.
The Angler suddenly spoke, "Imperial Palace."
"En?"
Chen Fan's expression changed.
The newcomer was from the Imperial Palace?
"Buzz."
Space distorted, and an unremarkable figure emerged.
Yes, just a man who was utterly unremarkable.
If this person were thrown into a crowd, you would forget their appearance by the time you turned your head.
Ordinary clothing, ordinary features, an overall aura of ordinariness.
But it was precisely this ordinariness that highlighted the person's extraordinary nature.
The Angler spoke again, "Under the Azure Emperor, a Wu Liaoren."
Wu Liaoren?
Chen Fan was surprised. This was a distorted product of ancient Eastern history in the lower realms.
Were there Wu Liaoren in the Immortal Realm too?
Soon, he understood.
This Wu Liaoren was not the same as the one from the lower realms.
In the lower realms, Wu Liaoren was a profession, while here, Wu Liaoren was the person's name.
The unremarkable man cupped his fists, "I am Wu Liaoren, greeting City Lord Chen."
His attitude was respectful.
Compared to the powerhouses from other factions, both the Angler and Monk Meng, as well as this Wu Liaoren, were all courteous.
They showed no arrogance whatsoever.
"This is true strength," Chen Fan lamented inwardly.
But it was also people like them who were truly troublesome to face as enemies.
Because they no longer needed external adornments; their strength represented everything.
Chen Fan rose and cupped his fists, "A guest from the Imperial Palace, you are most welcome."
Wu Liaoren descended from the sky and directly stated the purpose of his visit, "Apologies for the intrusion. I have come on the orders of our Young Master to borrow the opportunity of becoming an Emperor from the City Lord. Of course, whether successful or not, the Young Master is willing to offer compensation of equal value."
See, how magnanimous his words were.
Chen Fan replied, "It is said that the City of Freedom has an opportunity to become an Emperor, but I myself do not know what it is. Even if I wanted to lend it, I couldn't."
"It's alright."
Wu Liaoren continued, "I am a vanguard for the Young Master. As long as City Lord Chen vacates half of the city, that will suffice."
"Half the city?"
Chen Fan was stunned, "Do you need such a large area?"
The other party quickly explained, "According to our Imperial Palace's records, the larger the area of the city occupied, the greater the chance of obtaining the opportunity to become an Emperor. Of course, we will absolutely not disturb the lives of the residents of the City of Freedom. As long as the City Lord agrees, others will be handled by our Imperial Palace."
They were already being very accommodating.
Chen Fan thought for a moment and said, "Alright."
But he added one condition, "Half the city is merely a loan, a compensated loan."
"Of course."
"Then it's settled. I agree."
"Thank you."
The other party cupped his fists, and then a ring flew into Chen Fan's hand.
Wu Liaoren said, "Within this ring is an essay written by the Azure Emperor. The City Lord may study it and return it when the Young Master departs."
"Dao Script?"
Chen Fan was shocked.
This gesture was truly immense.
The writings of a Heavenly Emperor, also known as Dao Scripts, expounded the ultimate principles of heaven and earth.
"You've struck gold,"
Monk Meng said enviously from the side, "City Lord Chen, you must study it well. Perhaps you might even comprehend the Azure Emperor's divine abilities."
He was truly envious.
Even the Angler chimed in, "You've hit the jackpot."
It wasn't just the two of them; even Chen Fan knew he had benefited greatly.
"Farewell."
Wu Liaoren left.
He left the Azure Emperor's Dao Script just like that, unafraid of Chen Fan absconding with it.
Who would dare abscond with something from the Imperial Palace?
Heh, that was confidence.
No sooner had Wu Liaoren left than another person arrived...
"It never ends," Chen Fan rubbed his temples.
"Imperial Palace."
The Angler spoke again.
This time, the visitor was not from the Azure Emperor's Palace but from the Yellow Emperor's Palace of the Central Continent.
Their request was identical to Wu Liaoren's.
They also sought half the city for temporary residence.
"Alright."
If he agreed to one, he had to agree to the other.
Thus, the City of Freedom, excluding its central area, had been rented out to two parties, both of whom had paid rent.
One piece of Azure Emperor Dao Script, and one piece of Yellow Emperor Dao Script.
However, Chen Fan still made one request: the residents of the City of Freedom and the disciples of Yi Fu could come and go.
Both parties agreed to this.
...
But there were still others lurking in the shadows.
"Tsk tsk."
Monk Meng chuckled, "This is truly lively. After the Imperial Palace, another old friend has arrived."
Chen Fan: "..."
There were still people hidden in secret.
This was maddening.
Being a City Lord was truly difficult.
When Yi Fu was present, no one dared to come.
The moment Yi Fu left, they all came to trouble him.
"Buzz."
Space distorted, and another person emerged.
"Overlord."
Monk Meng revealed the person's origin and power, "In the rankings of Immortal Realm powerhouses, excluding the Five Emperors, this person would definitely rank in the top ten."
"..." Chen Fan.
He had lost all hope.
"Do you need my help?" the Angler asked.
"Forget it."
Chen Fan shook his head.
He then stood up and soared into the sky.
The Overlord was emanating intense battle intent.
His arrival was not friendly.
He had thought there would be no more fighting, but unexpectedly, another challenger had arrived.
"Since that is the case..."
Chen Fan licked his lips, "Then let's have a fight. City Lord Yi Fu established his position by the fall of a Heavenly Emperor; he only killed some ordinary people today, which is not enough."
To Chen Fan, even Ranked Emperors were ordinary people.
If Imperial Realm powerhouses were tiered, say s, ss, sss... then Chen Fan and the person before him were definitely at the highest tier, sss.
"Where shall we fight?"
Chen Fan asked directly.
"Outside the city."
The Overlord was powerfully built, his gaze surveying everything around him.
This person exuded kingly presence. There were no unnecessary words; a fight was all that was needed.
"Let's go."
Chen Fan wasted no time.
...
"Boom."
Outside the city, a great battle erupted.
Inside the City of Freedom, there were no outsiders left; even Monk Meng and the Angler had exited the city.
Yes, to watch.
This battle, if not a battle of the century, was certainly captivating enough.
Even the two Young Masters of the Imperial Palaces were paying attention to this fight.
Powerhouses who did not belong to the City of Freedom, although they did not enter the city, also came to join the spectacle.
"Fight."
The Overlord's battle intent soared.
A Fangtian Hua Ji in his hand swept out, tearing open a massive void fissure.
The Overlord's might was evident.
This was merely a casual strike.
"Good."
Chen Fan's eyes lit up.
This strike contained only the Dao of Strength, the ultimate of strength.
"Slash."
The Heaven-Obscuring Sword descended.
Ten swords, killing.
Rumble.
A sword and a halberd collided.
The destructive energy exploded like a sun.
Blinding radiance illuminated the surroundings.
"Dong."
Amidst the storm, the Overlord unleashed a punch.
The destructive storm was immediately punched through by his fist, creating a large hole.
Chen Fan was not to be outdone and also threw a punch.
"Bang."
Chen Fan was sent flying backward.
A faint cracking sound was heard; Chen Fan's bones had fractured.
"So strong."
Chen Fan was shocked.
Looking at the opponent's nonchalant demeanor, this was definitely not his full power.
The Overlord's voice boomed, "Go all out, or I will kill you."
"Alright, as you wish."
Chen Fan replied calmly.
To go all out was not only a sign of respect for the opponent but also for oneself.