93: Yunlan City!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Every step Lin Jingyu took was like a meteor crashing to the earth! The solid ground beneath his feet was like a brittle biscuit, exploding into giant pits several zhang deep!

Smoke, dust, and shattered rocks shot into the sky like a tornado!

He no longer used Shrinking the Ground to an Inch, relying purely on his Physical Body strength to sprint, yet his speed was faster than before!

With every push and stomp, his muscles bulged like a Primordial Dragon Python exerting force, and ancient runes flowed beneath his dark-gold skin, pushing his power to the extreme!

He was like a humanoid Vicious Beast that had broken free of its shackles, tearing across the Prefecture's territory!

Wherever he passed, birds and beasts vanished, and the mountains and forests shook!

Occasionally, low-level Yao Beasts or ignorant Roadside Bandits who spied his figure—which was wrapped in a dust storm and exuded terrifying vicious might—were so terrified that their livers and gallbladders split, and they soiled themselves, scrambling deep into the mountains and daring not to show their faces again.

Several days later, a massive city built against the mountains appeared at the edge of his vision—the core of the Prefecture, Cloud Mist City!

Lin Jingyu stopped ten li outside the city, and the dust slowly settled.

He glanced at the towering walls and the faint Aura of prosperity emanating from within, his eyes indifferent. There was nothing left here worth his time.

He strode toward the city gate, his steps still heavy, making the ground tremble with every pace, though he had reined in the wild Aura he displayed while sprinting. Even so, his physique—over two meters tall, muscles knotted like a god or demon—and the terrifying, mountain-crushing presence he naturally exuded instantly drew the eyes of all the guards and passersby at the city entrance!

"Hiss... That's... Lin Jingyu!" A sharp-eyed guard recognized him, his voice filled with uncontrollable trembling and awe.

"Heavens! Why is he back? His Aura... is easily ten times more terrifying than when he left last time!"

"Quick! Get out of the way! Don't block his path!" The Guard Captain's face was pale. He quickly hissed at his subordinates, while he himself bowed and retreated to the side, not daring to lift his head.

The city entrance instantly fell into an eerie silence.

All the pedestrians and merchants watched the slowly approaching dark-gold figure in horror, as if an invisible giant hand had gripped their throats.

No one dared to make noise, no one dared to approach; the crowd automatically parted like a tide, creating a wide path leading directly into the depths of the city gate.

A mix of awe, fear, and curiosity intertwined in their gazes, yet no one dared to meet his eyes.

Lin Jingyu ignored them, walking straight through the city gate and onto Cloud Mist City's main street.

The moment he stepped onto the bustling street, it was as if a mute button had been pressed.

The noisy cries of vendors, the sounds of carriages, and conversations all ceased abruptly!

Countless eyes focused on him, carrying the same sense of dread.

Where he walked, the crowds parted automatically like the parting of the Red Sea, leaving a vacuum in his wake, followed by a suffocating silence and the sound of countless people swallowing nervously.

"The Fierce God... is back..." someone murmured softly, their tone filled with helplessness.

"Elder Li... Heavenly Sword Sect... the Evil God Altar..." Fragmented news had long since spread, and combined with the palpable oppression emanating from the Fierce God before them, no one dared to harbor any doubt.

Lin Jingyu paid no attention to this.

His goal was clear; he walked straight toward the Prefecture's largest market for Demon Materials—the Wanbao Tower.

He needed to dispose of the mountain of Demon Materials piled up in his Sumeru Ring, exchanging them for easily portable hard currency (such as Gold Notes or Origin Stones) to prepare for his trip to the Imperial Capital.

Inside the Wanbao Tower, it was originally bustling with noise.

But the moment Lin Jingyu's towering figure appeared at the entrance, blocking the sunlight, the temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop suddenly!

"Master... Master Lin!"

The Shopkeeper was a thin, shrewd old man. Recognizing him instantly, he was startled into a frenzy, practically scrambling out from behind the counter, his face plastered with an extremely fawning smile, his back bent almost to the floor. "Your presence honors us greatly, Master Lin! Our humble shop is illuminated! Whatever you need, please command us! This old man will personally serve you!"

Lin Jingyu didn't bother with pleasantries, tossing a low-grade Sumeru Ring onto the counter. His voice was flat: "Appraise the contents inside. I want all cash or Origin Stones."

"Yes! Yes! We'll handle it immediately!"

The Shopkeeper held the ring in both hands, swept it with his Divine Sense, and his pupils shrank violently!

Inside were mountains of Yao Beast Materials, including precious parts from Divine Treasury Realm Demons!

The stench of blood almost seeped out through the ring!

He dared not show the slightest negligence, immediately summoning all senior Appraisers to count and estimate the value at the fastest speed and fairest price.

In less than half an hour, an astonishingly large Gold Note stamped with the Wanbao Tower's seal, along with a small pouch of high-quality Medium Grade Origin Stones, was respectfully presented to Lin Jingyu.

"Master Lin, these are yours, please keep them safe!" The Shopkeeper's forehead was covered in cold sweat; he was extremely cautious.

Lin Jingyu accepted the items and turned to leave, not saying a single unnecessary word throughout the process.

After leaving the Wanbao Tower, he did not immediately depart Cloud Mist City.

Instead, he went to the top floor of the city's largest restaurant, the "Drunken Immortal Residence," and ordered a table of the most expensive food and wine.

He needed information, especially regarding the Imperial Capital. Restaurants were often the best places for gathering intelligence.

However, the moment he sat down at the window seat, the entire Drunken Immortal Residence instantly became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The Martial Artists and aristocratic scions who had been loudly discussing matters all fell silent in fear, even being careful not to let their chopsticks click against their bowls.

All eyes, both overt and covert, focused on him, filled with awe, fear, and even... a hint of numbness.

Lin Jingyu poured and drank for himself, his powerful Divine Soul perception covering the entire restaurant like an invisible spiderweb.

He heard scattered rumors about him tearing apart the Evil God Projection, news about Heavenly Sword Sect Elder Li Xuanfeng being pounded into paste by him, and how Qin Shanhe handled the aftermath, and how the Demon Suppression Division revered him... but mostly, he heard fragments of information about the Imperial Capital.

"I heard the Imperial Capital hasn't been peaceful lately. Over a hundred people have gone missing again in the 'Black Water Quarter' east of the city, and the Demon Suppression Division can't find any leads..."

"More than that! Outside the city, the 'Hidden Demon Valley' is rumored to have a Great Demon lurking, which has swallowed several merchant caravans! Even Dharma Aspect Realm Great Experts have been alerted!"

"Sigh, the Imperial Capital is a deep and dangerous place! Demons run rampant, aristocratic families scheme against each other, and there's that Nine Thousand Year Old in the palace... Without Divine Treasury Peak strength, going there is just courting death..."

"Heh, but the 'Myriad Demon Cave' in the Imperial Capital is a great place. As long as you can come out alive, the rewards are absolutely astonishing! I heard there are even the remains of an Ancient Demon Saint inside..."

Dharma Aspect Realm Great Demons! Myriad Demon Cave! Remains of an Ancient Demon Saint!

A sharp light flashed in Lin Jingyu's eyes. Now this was exciting!

After eating and drinking his fill, Lin Jingyu tossed down a Gold Ingot and stood up to leave.

He walked out of the Drunken Immortal Residence and strolled down Cloud Mist City's main street.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long. Wherever he passed, silence and avoidance still reigned.

He stopped, his gaze sweeping over this bustling Prefecture capital, which could no longer offer him any challenge.

The aristocratic residences and Sect strongholds he once had to look up to now seemed fragile and laughable, like children's building blocks.

At Divine Treasury Eighth Layer Peak, bearing the Eight Desolations and Six Harmonies, Only I Am Supreme Art and the Chaos Heaven Opening Art, and possessing the Eight Desolations Battle Body as his trump card, no one in the Prefecture territory could withstand a single punch from him!

Invincible.

Lonely.

A sense of loneliness, like standing on a mountaintop gazing down at ants, spontaneously arose.

But this feeling lasted only an instant before being replaced by even more fervent Battle Intent!

The Imperial Capital! Where Demons were more numerous! Dharma Idol Realm Demon Kings! That was his battlefield! That was where he could find the evolution points he needed!

Lin Jingyu had no more attachments; he took a step forward!

Boom!

The ground exploded! He transformed into a dark-gold streak of light tearing through the air, rocketing toward the east—the direction of the Imperial Capital!

His speed was so immense that he left a long, white sonic boom in his wake!

He left behind countless shocked gazes looking up from Cloud Mist City, along with the terrifying sonic boom that echoed for a long time, sounding like the roar of a Vicious Beast!