Azure Sky Ghost Venerable!

"Otherwise, this old man would have to pay tribute to Dong Xiaoyu every year. That woman controls hundreds of evil and fierce ghosts within a hundred miles and is showing signs of breaking through to become a Great Ghost King."

Hearing this, Fei Luo frowned. "Tribute? A Great Ghost King?"

The City God nodded. "Yes, young hero. One can be called a King at the False Core Realm, a Great Ghost King at the Solid Core Realm, and a Ghost Venerable at the Golden Core Realm! As the City God of Ren Family Town, I have to capture a few small ghosts every year just to send them to Dong Xiaoyu, or she would find all sorts of ways to deal with me."

Listening to the City God, Fei Luo let out a snort of laughter.

"Rest assured, she has already been slain by me. You need not worry anymore."

In Fei Luo's view, in this Age of Dharma Decline, aside from fierce ghosts and zombies, it was truly an era where all beings were equal.

It was one thing for mortals to cultivate at a snail's pace, but who would have thought that even the cultivation of Yang Spirits would be so slow?

According to this City God, there were City Gods everywhere in the Republic of China; those with prosperous incense offerings possessed powerful golden bodies and, consequently, greater strength.

Before Fei Luo could finish his thought, the City God asked, "Young hero, have you heard of the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable?"

"Hmm? A Ghost Venerable?" Even Fei Luo turned serious.

A Ghost Venerable, by the City God's definition, was a Golden Core Realm monster—a king among supernatural ghosts.

A supernatural ghost at the Golden Core Realm already possessed inconceivable abilities.

If such a monster were to wreak havoc, it would be a catastrophe; the death of an entire town would be the least of it.

It was just that in recent years, most of the disturbances nearby had been caused by small ghosts, and the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable's sphere of influence happened to encompass Ren Family Town.

"Yes, young hero. The Azure Sky Ghost Venerable is a great ghost who rules over a thousand miles of territory. His subordinates are as numerous as clouds. The Red-Clad Female Ghost you killed at South Mountain the other day was the beloved wife of the Jade-Faced Scholar, one of the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable's subordinates."

"What! I actually offended a Golden Core Realm old ghost?" Fei Luo jumped up, exclaiming in shock.

That day, after he had slain the Red-Clad Female Ghost, he had encountered a man claiming to be Lin Xiao while pursuing Dong Xiaoyu.

At the time, his swordsmanship had not been refined, and that man's escape techniques were extremely bizarre, which was the only reason he had barely dodged his fatal blow.

Fei Luo had known the man had backing, but he never expected that he had offended a subordinate of a Ghost Venerable.

Fei Luo, who had seen his strength increase significantly in recent days, had been feeling a bit carried away.

With his Taoist arts, movement techniques, and swordsmanship now showing initial success, and with beauties throwing themselves into his arms, he had felt like he was reaching the pinnacle of his life.

He never imagined that he had offended a Golden Core Realm old ghost.

A thick sense of tension washed over Fei Luo's heart.

"Young hero, I knew when you killed the Red-Clad Female Ghost that day, but we had no chance to meet. Even as a Ghost King, Dong Xiaoyu dared not interfere with the Jade-Faced Scholar's wife causing trouble again. Your thunder technique that executed Dong Xiaoyu awakened two underworld envoys."

Hearing the City God's words, Fei Luo immediately understood why this old man had left his temple to risk finding him today.

His strength was low, and he could not stray too far from his temple. Being a thousand meters away from Ren Family Town was already a massive risk for him.

It turned out that two underworld envoys from the netherworld had been capturing ghosts, encountered the aura of him executing the troublemaker Dong Xiaoyu, and had tracked it to the Ren Family Town City God.

The Ren Family Town City God, knowing everything within his jurisdiction, had informed the envoys of Fei Luo's identity.

After some back-and-forth discussion, the three of them decided to befriend Fei Luo.

The appearance of such a genius in the world was a crucial turning point for maintaining order in the mortal realm.

Fei Luo had been bitterly cultivating his Taoist arts on the mountain every day, and the City God, growing anxious, had finally risked coming here.

"Young hero, this old man knows you have many doubts, and I also know you have encountered obstacles in breaking through to the Solid Core Realm. But my golden body is currently unstable, and I cannot stay here long. Why don't you accompany me to the temple? Tonight, when those two envoys arrive, we can address your questions together, how about that?"

Hearing the City God, Fei Luo nodded. "Very well."

Fei Luo did not dawdle and followed the City God toward Ren Family Town.

The City God had already dissipated into the air, his form hidden as he transformed into a golden light invisible to ordinary people, heading toward Ren Family Town first.

Through their conversation, Fei Luo learned that this City God was named "Li Ru," a great Confucian scholar during the Hongwu era who had been appointed as the City God of Ren County by the Ming Taizu after his death.

Ren Family Town was still bustling during the day.

Fei Luo, with his imposing bearing and ethereal appearance, drew the lingering gazes of women on the streets as he walked.

When passing the Yi Hong Brothel, the madam at the entrance brightened, and the sounds of singing and laughter drifted down from the upper floors, but Fei Luo turned a deaf ear to it all.

He only wanted to know who the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable was.

At this moment, Fei Luo felt a deep sense of crisis; the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable hung over his head like a sharp blade.

Even though Fei Luo seemed powerful now, he knew that if he were to fight someone at the Solid Core Realm, he might kill them instantly, and even against the best of the peak Solid Core Realm, he could retreat unscathed using his Star-Plucking Steps.

But a Ghost Venerable...

The Golden Core Realm was a qualitative leap.

According to Maoshan scriptures, human cultivators could fly and burrow into the earth once they reached the Golden Core Realm.

Among the Maoshan scriptures, the most profound one Fei Luo had read was the Supreme Clarity Great Cavern Scripture, but that was only a simplified version for the Age of Dharma Decline, and it only contained a few sparse sentences regarding higher realms.

Had it not been for the fact that both Buddhism and Taoism had been weakening for hundreds of years?

"I must advance to the Solid Core Realm; otherwise, how can I protect the common people, my master and senior brothers, and the one who adores me?" At this moment, Fei Luo thought of the people of Ren Family Town, Uncle Nine who treated him like his own, Qiusheng and Wencai who liked to horse around, and that person who would fly into his arms like a swallow returning to its nest.

Unknowingly, as he passed the Ren Family Villa, Fei Luo's figure came to a halt.

"Tingting, rest assured, I will definitely protect Ren Family Town." Muttering this to himself, Fei Luo paced toward the east side of the town.

They say a bed of comfort is a hero's grave; Fei Luo knew well that he could not afford to waste any more time.

Fei Luo had instructed Ren Tingting not to disturb him for the next few days, and she had indeed complied.

At this moment, she was sitting cross-legged in her boudoir, circulating the Qi Guiding Art.

If Uncle Nine were here, he would be astonished to discover that Ren Tingting had already reached the third level of the Qi Refining Realm in a mere three days.

This was an incredible feat; reaching the third level in three days made her a genius among geniuses.

Had it not been for the anomaly that was Fei Luo, Ren Tingting would undoubtedly have shone brilliantly in this era had she been able to cultivate the Dao; even without the Marrow Cleansing Pill, her growth would not have been inferior to the renowned cultivators of this world.

Suddenly, Ren Tingting's bright, watery eyes snapped open, and she looked out the window. "Is it him?"

Just a moment ago, a sudden intuition had struck Ren Tingting, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

Yet, outside the window and down on the street, there was nothing but passersby; the figure she expected was nowhere to be seen.