Chapter 2012: Old City Lord?

Only saw the middle-aged man swiftly form seals with both hands, murmuring incantations; a mysterious power surged from his body and gathered toward the void ahead.

As he acted, the originally calm space suddenly rippled with waves, like a lake disturbed by a thrown stone.

In an instant, that space violently trembled, and a blinding flash of light burst forth. When the light faded, a huge, smooth spatial mirror suddenly appeared before the three.

The mirror's surface shimmered with strange runes and flowing light, as if containing endless secrets. Immediately, clear images began to appear on its surface—exactly the scene when Ye Zhangqing turned and left, and the townsfolk following him as they receded into the distance.

Looking at the images before them, the middle-aged man and the two others all showed complex, unfathomable expressions.

They silently gazed at the mirror, their minds filled with countless thoughts.

Time passed second by second until the images on the mirror finally vanished and the space returned to its original calm, yet the three remained immersed in the shock of what they had seen and heard, unable to recover for a long while.

After an unknown period, someone finally broke this suffocating silence.

Only saw one of them slowly raise his head, his eyes meeting his companion's, and he was the first to speak.

"What should we do now, in this situation?"

The other also wore a puzzled look, muttering to himself.

"Yeah, why did that kid Ye leave in such a hurry? It's really puzzling..."

At that moment, the third person slapped his thigh hard and spoke loudly.

"Things have come to this; further talk is useless. In my view, we might as well chase after him—after all, the Black Rope Demon has already been slain, our mission is essentially complete. Rather than wait here in vain, it's better to follow Ye's footsteps; we might even encounter something different."

Upon hearing this, the other two first blinked in surprise, then fell into deep thought.

After a brief silence, they exchanged a glance, and the expressions in their eyes shifted several times in succession.

It was obvious that, after an inner struggle and weighing, they had already made a decision.

Finally, the one who had spoken first nodded heavily and said in a low voice.

"Not bad. Since Ye has already left Prison Immortal Town, this place holds no lingering attachment for us. Let's go, quickly catch up with him."

Before his words even finished, the three flickered, turning into three streams of light that sped off in the direction Ye Zhangqing had gone.

Speaking of the three middle-aged men, they had lived in seclusion in Prison Immortal Town for many years, aiming to slay the dreaded Black Rope Demon.

After enduring countless hardships and dangers, they finally succeeded in beheading it with their swords; thus, the arduous task they bore was at last completed.

Logically, with the matter settled, they should have returned home, but Ye Zhangqing's appearance introduced a variable, and now they have no intention of going back at all.

After all, without Ye Zhangqing's presence, they could hardly muster any interest in the lifeless Prison Immortal Town.

Only saw a flash of light around the three, instantly transforming into three dazzling streams of light, like meteors chasing the moon, closely following the direction Ye Zhangqing had taken and speeding away.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ye Zhangqing and the many people from Prison Immortal Town had already arrived before the imposing gate of a city called Four Directions Immortal City.

This city is one of the twenty-four famed immortal cities of the Immortal Realm, its status comparable to that of the equally renowned Cooking King Immortal City and Medicine King Immortal City.

However, unlike them, Four Directions Immortal City is not controlled by any external power; instead, it has always been wholly administered by the City Lord's Mansion within the city, forming its own independent system.

Compared to the desolate and neglected Prison Immortal Town, Four Directions Immortal City is obviously much more lively and prosperous.

On its streets, carriages and horses bustled, pedestrians thronged, shops lined both sides, and vendors' cries rose and fell.

Unfortunately, at this very moment, Ye Zhangqing and his companions were ruthlessly blocked at the city gate.

The city guards were each as hard as steel, and their attitudes were unyielding to the extreme.

No matter how the crowd pleaded and reasoned, they stood like they were under a paralysis spell, firmly guarding the gate with no intention of letting anyone through.

Such cold and harsh treatment instantly ignited the people's anger, as if a volcano were about to erupt.

"We are willing to pay the entry fee; why won't you let us in?"

The people of Prison Immortal Town could no longer suppress their inner anger; they swarmed to the city gate, faces full of resentment and unwillingness, and began to question.

You should know, Four Directions Immortal City has never restricted entry for outside cultivators; one only needs to pay a substantial entry fee.

At this moment, they had prepared to pay, yet these guards still unreasonably and brutally refused them entry.

Naturally, the city itself fears no troublemakers, for Four Directions Immortal City is no ordinary minor power; backed by strong strength, it can handle any possible situation and suppress any disruptive elements.

Yet, clearly, following the rules would allow smooth entry, but these guards for some unknown reason insist on blocking the Prison Immortal Town crowd.

Faced with the united questioning of the Prison Immortal Town populace, the guard captain stationed at the gate finally took action.

Only saw him slightly raise his head, casting a cold, condescending gaze over the crowd.

This person possessed profound cultivation at the Immortal Emperor Realm, and his every movement exuded an intangible pressure.

He curled his lip and spoke in an irritated tone.

"Hmph, look at you—thousands upon thousands—do you really intend to attack my Four Directions Immortal City? Such a huge crowd, yet you still dare to dream of entering? Stop your nonsense here; get as far away as you can, or don't blame me for being rude."

Others entering the city number at most a few thousand, but the Prison Immortal Town crowd arrives in a massive throng of nearly ten thousand.

Merely hearing the guard's words, the Prison Immortal Town people all felt indignant, gritting their teeth.

However, just as the crowd was about to speak in rebuttal, an elder from among them slowly spoke.

"Then this old man wants to enter the city—will you also stop me?"

As he spoke, the old man stepped out from the crowd.

This old man was no stranger to everyone; he had lived in Prison Immortal Town for several decades, ordinarily unremarkable.

The townsfolk all called him Old Man Li.

Seeing him speak now, an acquaintance worriedly said.

"Old Man Li, don't talk too much, let……"

But before he could finish, the guard opened his mouth with a shocked expression.

"Old City Lord, you've returned? I……"