The members of the Chen family arrived; Li Fan noticed familiar faces: the Chen Family Patriarch, Chen Yuan, and their prodigy, Chen Luoyun.
Behind the Chen family crowd was Lin He, who had participated in the Demon Slaying Summit previously. Ever since his daughter disappeared, he had been relying on the Chen family to locate her, yet there had been no news. He now appeared haggard and worn.
"Li Fan," Chen Yuan stepped forward, his gaze brimming with killing intent. He said, "County Magistrate Wang, this man killed my son, Chen Li, and Chen Zongzhi. Why not apprehend him immediately?"
County Magistrate Wang glanced at Chen Yuan briefly. You speak as if it's simple—if taking down this young man were easy, would he have caused such a great commotion?
Li Fan observed the newcomers and thought inwardly that their timing was impeccable.
It seemed that dismantling the City God Temple had stirred up a hornet's nest. The temple's secret dealings were obviously shady, and these quick arrivals likely had ties to them.
"This kid is ruthless; slay the traitor quickly to save me!" the City God howled wretchedly. The surrounding citizens watched the unfolding chaos; the City God's image had now collapsed.
So, even gods could not stand against cultivators.
If so, who could count on gods for protection anymore?
County Magistrate Wang waved his hand, prompting the Demon Suppression Army, previously blocked by Li Daoqing, to turn their horses toward Li Fan. Beside him, County Magistrate Cao Gong also advanced with his men, while the Chen family moved forward with the intention of encircling Li Fan.
"Apprehend him," County Magistrate Wang commanded. As his words fell, everyone simultaneously charged toward the direction where Li Fan stood, their killing intent boiling over.
A menacing aura erupted behind Li Fan.
Tendrils of Sword Intent flowed through Li Fan's body, and the space between his brows radiated dazzling light. Sword Aura surged out, cleaving toward the legs of the Demon Suppression Army's warhorses. The horses screamed in agony, collapsing forward.
The soldiers of the Demon Suppression Army leapt swiftly off their mounts. Seasoned through countless battles, their formation held firm as they lunged toward Li Fan with long spears in hand.
"Back off!" Li Fan roared; his sword transformed into a beam of light, cutting through the soldiers. But the tightly coordinated battle array countered his strike; their united piercing spear attacks resonated, shattering his sword light.
From another direction, Chen Luoyun summoned his Innate Dharma Form. Mana gathered in the sky, forming a bladed Thunder Sword. Bolts of lightning streaked across the heavens as Chen Luoyun spoke, "Li Fan, why did you kill my brother, Chen Li?"
"You're asking me?" Li Fan retorted. "Do you not know what the Chen family has done?"
*"A Sword Cultivator becoming so disgraceful?"* Chen Luoyun felt a pang of disappointment.
*He had spent years cultivating far from home and had learned much about the various sects in the Da Li world upon his recent return to Lin'an County.*
*How could he not recognize the name of Li Mountain?*
*Li Mountain was renowned, not exclusively for Sword Cultivators but for its unparalleled fame in swordsmanship. During times of chaos, many exceptional Great Sword Cultivators emerged from Li Mountain.*
*Although Li Mountain no longer held its former reputation, even today, the Sword Cultivators from that mountain commanded awe.*
"Luoyun, don't waste words with him; kill him," Chen Yuan declared. Chen Luoyun nodded as his lightning-imbued Dharma Sword descended toward Li Fan.
The blood within Li Fan surged like a roaring furnace. Raising his fist, he delivered a devastating punch. With a thunderous roar, the incoming Thunder Sword of the Dharma Form was blasted back.
*Seeing this, Chen Luoyun couldn't help but doubt himself.*
*He had spent years in relentless cultivation, was gifted with innate Dharma Form, and was hailed as a prodigy, yet his attack couldn't even challenge Li Fan's fist?*
*The title of prodigy itself suddenly felt hollow.*
Surging forward, Chen Luoyun formed sword techniques with his fingers. Instantly, thunderous mana erupted within him. With a wave of his arm, multiple Thunder Swords appeared simultaneously, transforming into flashes of lightning aimed at Li Fan.
Li Fan withdrew his arm, transitioning from a fist to a pointing finger. A single gesture unleashed an omnipresent Sword Aura, tearing through the lightning bolts. But the Demon Suppression Army pressed forward relentlessly; Li Fan swung his sword, while in the skies above, County Magistrate Wang sent his token flying. Golden light filled the heavens, and layers of the word 'command' descended like relentless strikes.
"Boom…" Under the multi-directional siege, Li Fan's body was finally forced to retreat.
"Save the City God!" County Magistrate Wang shouted from the rear, and the Demon Suppression Army surged toward the City God.
"Back off."
A blinding streak of sword light swept through, spraying blood into the air. Several advancing soldiers of the Demon Suppression Army had their heads penetrated instantly by a three-inch flying sword.
"Sword Seed," County Magistrate Wang muttered, his pupils shrinking. He had been wary of Li Fan's Sword Seed all along and thus kept his attacks from afar, cautious not to get too close.
The Sword Seed of the Sword Cultivator was terrifying indeed—not only was its killing power formidable, but its speed was unmatched, and it moved freely at will.
After killing, the flying sword returned to Li Fan's brow. Though efficient, invoking the Sword Seed consumed tremendous mental energy at his current cultivation level.
If it weren't for the surrounding attempts to crush him, he wouldn't have resorted to using the Sword Seed.
Seeing this, County Magistrate Wang understood immediately. The flying sword caused mental strain; Li Fan wouldn't be able to kill many. He waved his hand and shouted, "Attack!"
Standing atop his spear, Li Daoqing glanced at County Magistrate Wang.
County Magistrate Wang was undoubtedly the strongest here, yet he chose to stay behind, attacking from a distance while letting others charge forward. Truly despicable.
Having so many people gang up on a youth—there was certainly no honor in that.
"We've found it."
From the direction of the dismantled City God Temple came Li Hongyi's voice. Li Daoqing turned to look, spotting Li Hongyi rushing over and exclaiming, "There's a prison under the City God Temple holding multiple women captive."
The distant onlookers—especially the believers of the City God—were thrown into an uproar. They felt as though the sky was falling.
Behind Li Hongyi, figure after figure emerged. The women were poorly dressed, their hair disheveled, their breaths weak, and some even shied away from the light.
"It's over."
The City God's body trembled with fear. Ever since taking the path of being a Ghost God, he had committed countless atrocities while indulging in opulence, but now, exposed, he knew it was all over.
*He clung desperately to the hope that someone might protect him.*
"Xiao Min."
Lin He spotted one of the women and wailed mournfully before rushing toward her. He grabbed the woman firmly, brushed aside her long hair, and confirmed it was his daughter, Lin Min.
But now, Lin Min was a shadow of her former beauty, emaciated and her gaze hollow. Staring at her father, she froze briefly before tears streamed down her face.
"Beast!" Lin He roared in anguish, his eyes turning blood-red as he glared at the City God.
"Lord City God, is this true?" The devotees dropped to their knees, their faith in ruins, all hope lost.
The City God—a wicked Ghost Spirit.
"County Magistrate Wang, it seems my daughter's actions are understandable now," Li Daoqing said to him.
Wang Yuan's expression fluctuated every moment before he fixated his gaze on the City God. "As a Ghost God ordained by the Court, you neglected your duties and committed such heinous crimes. Unforgivable!" he thundered.
"Lord County Magistrate…" The City God was dumbstruck upon hearing these words.
"Kill him without mercy," County Magistrate Wang commanded fiercely. No longer holding back, he hurled his token into the air. "Command" characters surged forth, relentlessly striking down.
Li Fan willed his sword to charge at the magical token, but the token suddenly grew in size, transforming into a colossal object. An enormous, commanding character descended, unleashing deafening explosions with terrifying force.
"You're just killing the Ghost to silence him?" Li Fan questioned, his sword glowing as his flying sword shot out, colliding with the token and locking into a stalemate.
"Still not taking action to slay the traitor?" County Magistrate Wang urged, prompting everyone else to strike simultaneously.
"Back off!" Li Fan bellowed; his entire figure was encased in Sword Aura—so overwhelming that it stunned the crowd into hesitation.
"How can you all be like this?" The City God's face turned ashen; ironically, it now seemed as though Li Fan wanted to protect him, while County Magistrate Wang and the others were intent on killing him. How could he bear to lose his luxury as Lord City God, especially since those women weren't his sole indulgence?
"Has Lin'an County truly dwindled to the point where its people cannot subdue even one youth?" Suddenly, an indulgent voice echoed. From among the Chen family crowd stepped a youth clad in elaborate attire.
He outstretched his hand—it seemed ordinary, yet it pressed down on County Magistrate Wang's token forcefully.
The token roared; a terrifying power crushed down, suppressing the flying sword.
"Boom…" A deafening blast erupted as Li Fan's body was sent flying backward. His flying sword returned to his brow, but he groaned as his blood churned. He locked eyes forward; the City God had been annihilated, turned to ash.
*Now, there was no proof.*
Li Hongyi tried to rush forward, only to be stopped by Li Daoqing.
The chaos attracted not only Lin'an County's families but many cultivators from outside the region.
The well-dressed cultivator from earlier was only one among them.
"Indeed, talent has declined." One after another, others began stepping forward.
"Amitabha Buddha."
Li Fan recognized two monks from Jingang Temple among the group—the Wuxiang Monk and his junior. The younger monk stared intently at Li Fan, a fighting spirit glimmering in his gaze.
"The City God colluded with demons and ghosts, harmed the citizens of Lin'an, and has been rightfully slain." County Magistrate Wang retrieved his token and turned to Li Fan. "While you exposed the City God's misdeeds, you committed murder openly on the streets—a crime that cannot be absolved. If you willingly bind yourself and come with me to the county office, you might escape execution."
"That old ghost harmed the people of Lin'an for years right under your nose, and you knew nothing?" Li Fan countered, sweeping his gaze across the crowd.
The sheer number of people gathering to counter Li Mountain was astonishing.
*Clearly, the locals of Lin'an County were mere pawns in this game; the true depth remained hidden behind the scenes.*
*So, the reason why his senior sister sent him down from the mountain wasn't just about demon-slaying.*
"Intractable fool," County Magistrate Wang sneered. "Since you refuse to repent, I'll handle this personally." He moved decisively, while the elaborately dressed cultivator also approached Li Fan. The Demon Suppression Army closed in simultaneously.
"Father." Li Hongyi attempted to break free from Li Daoqing's grasp, but her father said, "Just watch."
*Though many esteemed cultivators had arrived, killing someone from Li Mountain wouldn't be so simple.*
Li Hongyi stayed still and turned her focus to Li Fan. She heard him say, "You think you can overwhelm me because I am alone today?"
He turned and shouted, "Junior Brother, are you here?"
"I am here."
Echoes reverberated within his mind, light glowing near the Sword Seed embedded in Li Fan's consciousness, resembling sword radiance.
The gathering stared in shock, their eyes darting around.
Li Fan smirked and taunted, "Just kidding."
As he finished speaking, an overwhelming surge of Sword Intent erupted from him, causing a terrifying storm to sweep across the area. Killing intent filled the heavens, paralyzing those present with fear.
Even the well-dressed cultivator was momentarily taken aback, his expression turning grave as he glanced at Li Fan warily.
"Come at me if you dare. You'll die." Li Fan declared.
With his words, the terrifying and boundless killing Sword Intent pervaded the heavens and earth.