At that, Pei Ling furrowed his brow. He didn't know what kind of place Cinder Hall was, but he could tell that a righteous sect like Yanxi City placed great importance on its younger generation!
To avoid exposing his identity, he could only brace himself and say, "In that case, I'll send an avatar to go with you."
"...When everyone stands as one, we can form a fortress. As long as we work together, the mere demonic path is nothing to fear."
The next moment, a replica of the City Lord appeared beside Pei Ling.
The replica immediately descended the stone steps and walked toward the elders.
Seeing this, the elders bowed. "Thank you, City Lord!"
Then they turned and left with the replica.
The moment the group had departed, before Pei Ling had even risen from the City Lord's throne, a jumble of footsteps sounded outside the door.
A crowd of cultivators dressed in all manner of clothing rushed in. Their cultivation levels varied, and most wore armor, while some were dressed in ordinary clothes. The one thing they had in common was the token hanging from each of their waists, engraved with the name of a fortress. They were the garrison commanders of the many important fortresses under Yanxi City's rule.
They had hurried over as soon as they received the good news, evidently still unaware of the news that "the City Lord had returned grievously wounded." As soon as they entered, they eagerly offered their congratulations. "Congratulations, City Lord! Our felicitations!"
"The City Lord's great victory is a momentous occasion for Yanxi City!"
"Not just Yanxi City! The Five Righteous Sects are branches of the same tree. We should all rejoice!"
"This is a sign that the righteous path is waxing as the demonic path wanes..."
"The