The two Golden Core Cultivators each rode clouds toward the high skies above the mountaintop.
Chi Dun was covered in dust and grime, with a few light wounds still on him. Standing atop his gray cloud, he snorted coldly. "Fei Si! If you hadn't stopped me from pursuing that demonic cultivator, I would have captured him long ago!"
The one he was arguing with was an old man in yellow robes, with a goatee and sharp, bright eyes. His surname was Fei, and his given name was Si.
Fei Si snorted. "You brute. Was I stopping you from capturing the demonic cultivator? I was stopping you from destroying the Fire Persimmon Forest!"
The two argued all the way until they reached the City Lord.
Thick clouds and mist parted like drawn curtains, revealing the City Lord's true body.
The current City Lord's expression was as still as an ancient well. He had long grown accustomed to their quarrels.
Fei Si and Chi Dun, one civil and one martial, were the City Lord's strongest arms. Yet the two had always been at odds.
The moment Chi Dun finished bowing in salute, he immediately lodged a complaint. He accused Fei Si of refusing to cooperate and instead obstructing his pursuit. Now the Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator had slipped into the Fire Persimmon Forest, leaving them no choice but to seal it off for the time being.
Fei Si immediately retorted, "Brute!"
"The Fire Persimmon Forest is of immense value. Its cultivation began when the city was founded. After the painstaking labor of more than ten generations and several hundred years of diligent effort, it has only reached its present scale."
"Fire persimmons are naturally prone to explosions. If battle breaks out within the Fire Persimmon Forest, it will inevitably trigger a chain of sympathetic detonations. When that happens, Fire Persimmon Immortal City's greatest industry will be wiped out!"
"More than half of the Immortal City's annual revenue comes from the Fire Persimmon Forest. It could be said that the forest alone supports the city's operations."
"You care only about your own assignment. Your vision is no bigger than a mouse's eyes. If the Fire Persimmon Forest is destroyed, how is the City Lord supposed to answer to the Southern Bean Dynasty?"
It turned out that after the Three Sects Forefathers hid the Magma Immortal Palace deep within Fire Persimmon Mountain and suppressed the volcano, this place had gradually transformed from a vile land into a blessed one.
The Southern Bean Immortal Dynasty had taken a fancy to this place. Several hundred years ago, it dispatched Nascent Soul Level cultivators to station themselves in the volcano and build the Immortal City. After the Immortal City Array was laid down, it drew upon the earth's power and fire spiritual energy as nourishment to cultivate the Fire Persimmon Forest.
The Fire Persimmon Forest yielded enormous profits, and Fire Persimmon Immortal City was named after it.
The annual fire persimmon harvest had also given rise to a festival unique to Fire Persimmon Immortal City—the Fire Persimmon Festival.
On the day of the festival, cultivators from across the city would enter the forest to pick fire persimmons. The city would be filled with the joy of harvest, bustling beyond compare.
Chi Dun craned his neck and glared furiously at Fei Si, about to speak.
The City Lord interrupted. "Enough. You interrogated all those cultivators. Did you find any clues?"
Chi Dun hurriedly bowed and presented the record of testimonies.
The City Lord remained seated, allowing the record to slowly float before him. A fierce gust swept through, flipping the book from beginning to end.
He was a Nascent Soul Cultivator with astonishing divine sense. Within a few breaths, he had taken in every word in the record.
There was nothing of value.
Chi Dun requested instructions. "City Lord, that demonic cultivator is currently hiding in the Fire Persimmon Forest. What should we do?"
With a movement of his divine sense, the City Lord sent the record flying back to Chi Dun. His tone was calm. "What do you think should be done?"
Chi Dun frowned in difficulty. "The Fire Persimmon Forest is extremely important. In this subordinate's opinion, we should report directly to the Southern Bean Immortal Dynasty and have them send capable people to handle it."
"Not to mention anything else, merely scattering a handful of red beans would be enough. With the Red Turban Warriors leading the charge, casualties could be greatly reduced."
"Or we could directly invite people from the Divine Arrest Division to come and hunt down the demonic cultivator."
"Whether they cultivate the Heart-Clarifying Warning Art or the Root Tracing Method, Divine Arrest Division cultivators are far more skilled than I am at tracking down criminals."
The City Lord remained expressionless as he glanced at Fei Si.
Fei Si immediately understood and cried out again, "Brute!"
"If you summon people from the Divine Arrest Division, what role will there be left for us?"
"We have already secretly negotiated terms with the two great families. If we suddenly report this upward now, how are we supposed to face the Zhou and Zheng families?"
"Once we do this, we will utterly ruin the rules!"
"If my lord becomes an official in another region in the future, how will the local cultivation lineages ever trust him again?"
"You must understand: to govern a region, one must maintain good relations and close cooperation with the great local clans. Only then can decrees flow smoothly and orders be carried out."
"To go back on one's word is the conduct of a petty man!"
Fei Si fiercely rebutted him, his emotions running high.
There was still something he had not said aloud—
The Magma Immortal Palace had been discovered after the City Lord took office. By regulation, the City Lord should have reported it immediately.
However, the Zhou and Zheng families had strongly urged otherwise and bribed him with vast sums. The City Lord himself had also coveted the treasures within the Magma Immortal Palace, so he concealed the matter instead of reporting it.
The three parties had originally developed it in secret, living in peace all along.
It had been within expectations that the Ning family would discover the Magma Immortal Palace. The three parties had long been mentally prepared to accept them.
But then an unforeseen disaster struck—the Magma Immortal Palace had been blasted into the open!
That damned Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator, by his own strength alone, had turned an excellent situation sharply downhill until it was unrecognizable.
The Magma Immortal Palace had nearly emerged completely. Only through the City Lord's personal intervention had it barely been suppressed. Yet the Magma Immortal Palace's selection standard had still fallen to the Qi Refining Stage, and the sound of the Dharma Transmission Bell had spread far and wide.
Although the City Lord had issued multiple orders, promptly controlling the cultivators present and doing everything possible to conceal the matter, word had already leaked badly. As time passed, the South Bean Royal Family would inevitably learn of it.
If the City Lord had obtained some precious treasure from the Magma Immortal Palace, that would have been one thing.
But as things stood, he had not gained any benefits at all!
The Immortal Dynasty's losses were already inevitable. Under such circumstances, how could the City Lord be willing to stop? Of course, he had to grit his teeth and explore the Immortal Palace with all his strength. That was what best served his interests.
Unable to argue against Fei Si, Chi Dun simply spread his hands, indicating that the task was too difficult and that he was already at his wit's end.
Fei Si sneered. "How could a mere brute like you come up with a solution? Leave it to me!"
The City Lord looked at Fei Si and spoke lightly. "Fei Si, if you have a method, speak freely."
Fei Si had long prepared his argument. He smiled now. "My lord, this subordinate believes the best method is to quell it with stillness!"
"The Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator's objective is obvious—the Magma Immortal Palace!"
"Previously, he wanted to enter the Immortal Palace but was stopped by Zheng Shuang Gou. This time, why did he appear near the dungeon?"
"On the surface, he wanted to destroy the array pillar beneath the dungeon."
The grand array in Fire Persimmon Immortal City had five major array pillars, located respectively within the Zhou family, the Zheng family, the Ning family, the dungeon, and the city guard barracks. Destroying these array pillars would endanger the entire Immortal City Array.
"But that is merely his surface objective!" Fei Si rendered his judgment, brilliant light gleaming in his eyes, his confidence unmistakable.
"He was very likely deliberately exposing himself, luring Chi Dun into pursuit so as to draw the City Lord out to capture him."
"In the end, this demonic cultivator hid within the Fire Persimmon Forest. It appears he fled there in blind panic, but in truth, it is highly suspicious."
"Fire persimmons are prone to self-detonation, and the Fire Persimmon Forest is laid with multiple arrays. Why would he choose this place to hide?"
"Now, the forest's multiple formations have all been activated, temporarily sealing in the Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator. He seems like a bird in a cage, a turtle in a jar, but I am more inclined to believe that he is drawing our attention."
"This subordinate has a bold conjecture. This Black Shadow Demonic Cultivator is merely bait on the surface. In secret, there are likely others lying in wait."
"Once we are drawn in by him and concentrate our strength on encircling and exterminating him, the volcano crater will inevitably be left empty and vulnerable, exposing a flaw."
"The enemy's situation is unclear, and what we know is extremely limited. We have no idea how many enemies are lurking in the shadows."
"Even the Three Great Families cannot be ruled out as accomplices of the demonic cultivator, or perhaps even the masterminds behind it!"
Chi Dun listened with his mouth slightly agape, his eyes unfocused.
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