Putting on a Show

The Foundation Establishment Stage Sword Cultivators from the Immortal Sects were incredibly powerful.

The Ghost General's pitch-black spear, formed from Yin energy, was shattered by a single sword strike from him, and the bronze chariot was forced back several yards.

Seizing this opportunity, the Sword Cultivator controlled his Flying Sword to slash at the countless Yin souls.

Sword light crisscrossed, slashing wildly.

It was like an invisible, profound wave, stirring visible ripples of light among the countless Yin souls.

The sharp and ferocious Flying Sword annihilated the countless Yin souls, scattering their spirits.

The Ghost General was enraged and let out a wild howl to the sky.

Boundless black mist surged around him, transforming into dozens of black spears that stabbed towards the Sword Cultivator in the distance.

The Sword Cultivator waved his hand, and his Flying Sword swiftly arrived, sweeping away all dozens of pitch-black spears.

Although the Ghost General was powerful, he was no match for the Sword Cultivator.

Of the Immortal Sect's several Flying Boats, only this Foundation Establishment Stage Sword Cultivator had emerged to fight; the others remained inside.

Even though the Ghost General was heavily suppressed by the Sword Cultivator, he managed to keep the Sword Cultivator firmly entangled.

At this moment, a massive Bone Vulture emerged from the pitch-black night.

The Bone Vulture had a wingspan of over ten yards, and each flap of its wings made a piercing creaking sound.

A black-robed cultivator rode the Bone Vulture directly towards a Flying Boat in the distance.

The Bone Vulture appeared clumsy but was extremely fast, whistling past the Flying Boat.

With a fierce sweep of its bone wings, the ferocious bone spurs on the wingtips tore through the Flying Boat's Spiritual Energy Shield.

The black-robed cultivator fiercely swung his arm, and countless bone spurs rained down like a storm, smashing towards the Flying Boat in the distance.

Deprived of the Spiritual Energy Shield's protection, countless bone spurs fell, and the Flying Boat, tens of yards long, was riddled with holes and plummeted from the sky.

Two figures leaped from a nearby Flying Boat and engaged the Demonic Cultivator riding the Bone Vulture.

At this moment, four more Foundation Establishment Stage Demonic Cultivators from other directions joined the fray, engaging in a fierce battle with the Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators from the Immortal Sect.

The few Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators fought like a chaotic, dark world.

Despite the Sword Cultivator's formidable strength and the Immortal Sect cultivators' tenacious resistance, the disparity in power led to several Flying Boats being shot down one after another.

Except for the Sword Cultivator who escaped at the last moment, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Immortal Sect and the cultivators on the other Flying Boats were all slaughtered by the Demonic Cultivators.

Su Fan stood on the Bone Boat, witnessing the entire battle.

In Shaoyang Market alone, the Demonic Sect had deployed six Foundation Establishment cultivators; it seemed the True Demonic Sect had come out in full force.

And on the Immortal Sect's side, apart from the Sword Cultivator, the combat effectiveness of the others was worrying.

Facing the fierce and formidable Demonic Sect cultivators with their endless array of treacherous tactics, the Immortal Sect cultivators were constantly on the defensive.

RUMBLE!!

While Su Fan was lost in thought, the Bone Boat landed near Shaoyang Market Town.

The True Demonic Sect had not only captured Shaoyang Market Town but also the mountain gate of the Lesser Yang Sect.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator who was guarding the market town had died in battle, and most of the remaining disciples within the sect were either killed or captured.

As soon as he entered Shaoyang Market Town, Su Fan was stunned by the scene before him.

Corpses littered the inside and outside of the market town, with ruins everywhere, as if the apocalypse had descended.

Su Fan knew in his heart that the vast majority of the people who had died were victims of infighting among the Rogue Cultivators.

No matter where it was, once order was lost, chaos would ensue.

The current Shaoyang Market Town was nothing like it used to be; in the eyes of the Rogue Cultivators, it was a mountain of gold and a sea of silver.

The Demonic Sect had broken through the market town, and many Rogue Cultivators had joined in to loot.

Looking at the once-bustling Shaoyang Market reduced to ruins, Su Fan felt a surge of emotion.

He had been here for over a year since his transmigration, and he had developed feelings for Shaoyang Market Town.

The surviving Rogue Cultivators in the market town were now all staying indoors, silently licking their wounds.

Although the Demonic Sect was brutal, their treatment of the Rogue Cultivators near the market town was similar to that of the Immortal Sect.

In the first few days, the Demonic Sect conscripted a large number of Rogue Cultivators from the market town to clean up the environment inside and outside the town, and then they paid them no further attention.

Not only that, but they would also recruit Rogue Cultivators in the future to participate in the war against the Immortal Sect.

Of course, because the Evil Cultivators had been afflicted with the Heart-Shattering Gu, the True Demonic Sect currently trusted them more.

The True Demonic Sect was actively preparing for war, so they assigned the task of patrolling the shantytown areas around the market town to the Evil Cultivators.

Su Fan and a few other Evil Cultivators were assigned to a shantytown near the market town to maintain order.

The ground was covered with corpses, and the wandering souls were all collected by the Demonic Sect cultivators who practiced the Zombie Path and Ghost Path.

The hundred or so recruited Evil Cultivators also received considerable benefits.

Su Fan picked out a few corpses of Rogue Cultivators and used the "Evil Ghost Banner" to capture over a dozen Yin souls.

There was no helping it; he was a Demonic Cultivator now, and had to play the part.

For the next two days, Su Fan was assigned to the night shift, patrolling the market town every night.

While on patrol, he took the opportunity to send Sister Zhen out to check on his courtyard.

Damn it, the house had already burned down.

It was probably some bastard who went to his home, found nothing left, and burned it down in a fit of rage.

Even though he had only lived in the small courtyard for a few months, he had lived quite comfortably there, and he hadn't expected it to be gone just like that.

Old Xu's house was still intact, but it was also empty. He figured the worst had happened.

These Demonic Cultivators weren't easy to deal with either; they often went door-to-door, extorting Rogue Cultivators.

Su Fan, of course, didn't stand out. In just a few days, he had received a considerable amount of cultivation resources, along with hundreds of Spirit Stones.

These past few days, cultivators from the True Demonic Sect had been arriving at Shaoyang Market in Flying Boats.

It was said that a Golden Core Cultivator had also arrived and was currently stationed at the gates of the Lesser Yang Sect.

The Demonic Sect's massive Flying Boats also continuously flew over the market town, creating an atmosphere of impending war everywhere.

With the Chu Kingdom fallen, even the Immortal Sects in the Central Plains probably couldn't sit still.

The Immortal Sects in Ganzhou and Lanzhou certainly wouldn't allow the Demonic Sect to occupy the Chu Kingdom.

The Immortal Sects would definitely organize their forces to retake the Chu Kingdom soon, and re-establish contact with the Qin State.

The Chu Kingdom would undoubtedly become the main battlefield for the conflict between Immortals and Demons in the future. Su Fan didn't want to be cannon fodder for the Demonic Sect, dying without even knowing how.

Therefore, over the past few days, he had begun to ponder how to escape Shaoyang Market Town.

First was the Heart-Shattering Gu. He wondered if he could eliminate this hidden danger by using the purple current from the Lightning Dao Seed within his body.

He planned to find an opportunity in the next few days to try it outside the market town.

If it weren't for the Heart-Shattering Gu inside him, Su Fan would have already fled.

Next was how to leave. Without a flying Magic Tool, he couldn't possibly walk away on his own two legs, could he?

Then there was the escape route. His first choice was naturally towards Ganzhou.

But as things stood, he could only hope to travel to Ganzhou by Flying Boat after the Immortal Sects recaptured the Chu Kingdom.

So Su Fan decided to find a suitable opportunity to first escape into Shaoyang Mountain.

He would find a safe place deep in the mountains and stay there for a few months, emerging only when the Immortal Sects had recaptured the Chu Kingdom.

Over the next few days, Su Fan used his identity as a Demonic Cultivator to gather information all over the market town.

After observation and inquiry, he formulated several escape plans, just in case.

At this moment, a massive Flying Boat had just entered the Chu Kingdom's borders.

Gu Qinghuan sat cross-legged inside the cabin with her eyes tightly shut, dense black energy constantly swirling around her.

A withered-looking elderly cultivator pushed open the cabin door and walked in.

Gu Qinghuan opened her eyes and quickly stood up to bow upon seeing the elder.

"Master..."

The elder chuckled and waved a hand at her.

"We've just entered the Chu Kingdom. In about two more hours, we'll reach Shaoyang Market."

Hearing her master's words, Gu Qinghuan breathed a sigh of relief, but a hint of unease flickered across her face.

"Master, I..."

The elder chuckled and said, "The Sect Master is right; you've had too smooth a journey. To achieve a perfect Dao heart, occasional stumbles aren't a bad thing..."

Gu Qinghuan remained silent, forcing a smile. She turned her head to look out the window.

"Little scoundrel, here I come..."