Azure Sky Ghost Venerable!

"Otherwise, this old man would have to pay tribute to Dong Xiaoyu every year. She commands hundreds of evil spirits and vengeful ghosts within a hundred miles, and she's on the verge of breaking through to Great Ghost King."

Hearing this, Fei Luo furrowed his brow. "Pay tribute? Great Ghost King?"

The City God nodded. "That's right, young hero. Those in the False Core Realm can be called kings, those in the Solid Core Realm are Great Ghost Kings, and those in the Golden Core Realm are Ghost Venerables! Though I'm the City God of Ren Family Town, every year I still have to send a few little ghosts I've caught to Dong Xiaoyu. Otherwise, she finds all sorts of ways to make trouble for me."

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

"Don't worry. I've already slain her, so you won't need to worry anymore."

In Fei Luo's view, aside from ghosts, zombies, and other monsters, this was truly an era of equality for all beings.

It was bad enough that ordinary people cultivated at a snail's pace. Who would have thought that even cultivating the Yang Spirit was this slow?

From what the City God said, every region in the Republic of China had a City God. Some had flourishing incense offerings and powerful golden bodies, and were strong as a result.

But before Fei Luo could finish speaking, the City God said, "Young hero, have you heard of the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable?"

"Hm? A Ghost Venerable?" Even Fei Luo sobered up.

A Ghost Venerable, according to the City God, was a Golden Core Realm ghost—a king among Supernatural Ghosts.

A Golden Core Realm Supernatural Ghost already possessed unimaginable abilities.

If such a monster came out to wreak havoc, it would be a calamity. The death of everyone in a town would be the least of it.

But in recent years, only minor ghosts had caused trouble nearby, while the Azure Sky Ghost Venerable's territory encompassed Ren Family Town.

"That's right, young hero. The Azure Sky Ghost Venerable is a great ghost who rules over a thousand miles. He has countless fierce generals under his command. The Red-Clad Female Ghost you killed on South Mountain the other day was the beloved wife of the Jade-Faced Scholar, one of his subordinates."

"What! I actually offended an old ghost in the Golden Core Realm?" Fei Luo sprang to his feet with a cry.

That day, he had slain the Red-Clad Female Ghost, then encountered the man who called himself Lin Xiao while pursuing Dong Xiaoyu.

At the time, his swordsmanship had been lacking, and the man's escape technique was incredibly strange. He had only barely dodged Fei Luo's deadly strike.

Fei Luo had known the man would have powerful backing, but he had never imagined he'd offended a subordinate of a Ghost Venerable.

Having grown considerably stronger in recent days, Fei Luo had begun to feel a little invincible.

His Daoist arts and footwork and swordsmanship had all reached a degree of mastery, and a beauty had thrown herself into his arms. He'd been on the verge of thinking he'd reached the peak of his life.

He had never imagined he'd offended an old ghost in the Golden Core Realm.

A deep sense of unease settled over Fei Luo.

"Young hero, I knew the day you killed the Red-Clad Female Ghost. We simply had no chance to meet. Even Dong Xiaoyu, though she's a Ghost King, wouldn't dare interfere with the Jade-Faced Scholar's wife wreaking havoc again. The thunder spell you used to kill Dong Xiaoyu alerted two Underworld Envoys."

Hearing the City God's words, Fei Luo immediately understood why the old man had risked leaving his temple to find him today.

His power was weak, and he couldn't venture far from the temple. This place was a thousand meters from Ren Family Town, so he'd taken an enormous risk coming here.

It turned out that two Underworld Envoys had been hunting ghosts when they sensed the aura of Fei Luo killing the troublesome Dong Xiaoyu. They had gone to the City God of Ren Family Town.

The City God knew everything that happened within Ren Family Town and had informed the Underworld Envoys of Fei Luo's identity.

After the three of them had discussed it face-to-face, they decided to befriend Fei Luo.

The appearance of such a talented young cultivator was crucial to maintaining order in the mortal realm.

Fei Luo had been cultivating Daoist arts on the mountain every day lately, and the City God had grown so anxious that he finally risked coming here.

"Young hero, I know you have many questions, and I also know you've run into difficulties breaking through to the Solid Core Realm. But my golden body is unstable, and I can't stay here long. How about coming with me to the temple? Those two Underworld Envoys will arrive tonight. We can answer your questions together then."

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

Without further delay, Fei Luo set off with the City God toward Ren Family Town.

But the City God had already vanished into the air, concealing his form and transforming into a golden light invisible to ordinary people as he hurried ahead to Ren Family Town.

In their conversation, Fei Luo learned that the City God was named Li Ru. During the Hongwu era, he had been a great Confucian scholar, and after his death, Emperor Taizu of Ming had appointed him the City God of Ren County.

Ren Family Town was still bustling in the daytime.

Fei Luo strode along the streets of Ren Family Town with an air of distinction and an immortal's beauty, drawing sidelong glances from the women.

As he passed Yi Hong Brothel, the old madam at the entrance immediately lit up, and the women upstairs called out to him in a chorus. But Fei Luo paid none of it any mind.

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

At that moment, Fei Luo felt a deep sense of danger. The Azure Sky Ghost Venerable hung above his head like a sharp blade.

Though Fei Luo seemed quite powerful now, he knew that if he fought someone in the Solid Core Realm, he might kill them in an instant. Even against an outstanding cultivator at the peak of the Solid Core Realm, if he couldn't win, he could still escape unharmed with the Star-Plucking Steps.

But a Ghost Venerable—

The Golden Core Realm was a qualitative leap.

Once human cultivators reached the Golden Core Realm, they could soar through the skies and burrow through the earth, according to the Maoshan texts.

Of all the Maoshan texts, the most profound Fei Luo had read was the Supreme Clarity Great Cavern Scripture. But it was only a simplified version for this Age of Declining Dharma, with just a few lines about the higher realms.

Hadn't both Buddhism and Daoism grown weaker and weaker over the past few centuries?

"I have to reach the Solid Core Realm. Otherwise, how can I protect the people of this region, my master and senior brothers, or the woman who loves me?" At that moment, Fei Luo thought of the people of Ren Family Town, Uncle Nine, who treated him like his own son, Qiusheng and Wencai, who were always playfully bickering, and the girl who had flown into his arms like a returning swallow.

Before he knew it, Fei Luo had paused outside the Ren Family Villa.

"Tingting, don't worry. I'll protect Ren Family Town." After murmuring this to himself, Fei Luo continued eastward.

They said a hero could be buried in a tender beauty's arms, but Fei Luo knew he couldn't waste any more time now.

Fei Luo had told Ren Tingting not to disturb him for the next few days, and she had done just that.

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

If Uncle Nine were here, he would have been astonished to discover that Ren Tingting had reached the third level of the Qi Refining Realm in just three days.

This was an astonishing feat. Reaching the third level in three days made her a genius among geniuses.

Without an anomaly like Fei Luo, if Ren Tingting could cultivate, she would undoubtedly shine in this era. Even without a Marrow Cleansing Pill, she would have grown to rival the renowned cultivators of this world.

Suddenly, Ren Tingting opened her clear, limpid eyes and looked out the window. "Was it him?"

Just now, she had felt a sudden, intuitive flutter in her heart.

But beyond the pedestrians, there was no sign of the person she had expected to see.