Chapter 232: Entering the City

The Devil Heart fell silent for a long time, then sighed heavily and said, “From now on, I’ll let you know ahead of time what I plan to do—not because you have the power to erase me, since I don’t believe you truly can.”

“Maybe you’ve underestimated me, or you’ve overestimated your ability to erase me, but none of that matters anymore.”

“When I suddenly took control of your body at the sealing site, it was truly an emergency; otherwise, I would have communicated with you beforehand.”

“Whether you believe me or not.”

It spoke with unwavering conviction.

Lu Fang offered no further explanation; he believed some of what the Devil Heart said was true, some false—for instance, its claim that it didn’t believe he could erase it was likely genuine.

After all, it was indeed a very peculiar existence.

What it didn’t know was that if the Ink Brush Manuscript Realm’s Spirit confirmed it could erase the Devil Heart by sacrificing fifty years of his life, it absolutely could.

As for its excuse that it hadn’t communicated earlier due to emergency—that was surely just an attempt to ease tensions.

Lu Fang felt that even if things were to happen again, the Devil Heart would do the same thing; its current subdued attitude was merely because it had gained very little cultivation essence within the Sealing Palace.

Added to that, the Ink Brush Manuscript Realm’s Spirit had restricted its ability to absorb his cultivation essence, so it was now somewhat cautious.

“Anyway, I’ve said what I needed to say. Whether you think I’m putting on an act, or think you’re beyond my reach, I’ve drawn the line—if you cross it again, I might truly erase you at the cost of fifty years of my life.”

Lu Fang’s voice was soft, yet to the Devil Heart, it rang like thunder.

Erase me at the cost of fifty years of life?

Could it be that his body harbored another peculiar existence besides me? The detail of such a sacrificial cost truly startled it.

That shouldn’t be possible!

With its perception, it had detected no other presence at all.

As the Devil Heart grew uneasy, it suddenly realized it could once again sense Lu Fang’s cultivation essence—it reached out to absorb it, only to lose the sensation again instantly.

Just as it puzzled over this, Lu Fang smiled faintly and said, “Now do you believe me?”

After much thought, he decided to use the Ink Brush Manuscript Realm’s Spirit to warn the Devil Heart; since he’d already laid everything bare, there was no need to conceal anything further.

The Devil Heart sighed, “Understood.”

Seeing this, Lu Fang no longer paid it any attention; having learned so much all at once, it needed time to process.

As long as it had any sense, it wouldn’t act so recklessly again.

When he arrived at the Invincible Army’s encampment, he realized how hidden the base was—the mountain range held no rare treasures or materials, and dangerous swamps and monstrous beasts lurked everywhere.

The location was extremely remote; ordinary people rarely came here, and on his journey, he hadn’t seen a single soul.

Combined with the array, even if someone came, they couldn’t detect the Invincible Army’s base unless they were powerful enough.

After dumping all his unused rare treasures and materials, Lu Fang instructed Lin Chong to prioritize safety above all else, then departed the base.

He didn’t need to worry about the Invincible Army’s growth—imagine one hundred eight sixth-rank, third-tier military commanders, each possessing a unique extraordinary ability.

In just a short time, a portion of the Invincible Army, led by Lin Chong, had already broken through into fifth-rank, first-tier.

Such a force, unless embroiled in deep hatred, would deter anyone from provoking them—they wouldn’t initiate conflict at first, only gradually expanding their base and gathering intelligence.

Even if they did eventually attract enemies, Lu Fang had left behind teleportation puppets as a precaution; should danger arise, the Invincible Army could instantly retreat.

Lu Fang cared deeply about the Invincible Army’s development, for it was the beginning of building his own power—and as a being akin to a Book Spirit, it was loyal enough to him.

He didn’t want a single casualty among them; even one death would grieve him deeply, yet such matters had to be handled secretly, leaving them no choice but to rely on themselves.

It would be best if a powerful cultivator were here to hold the line.

Lu Fang sighed inwardly, shook off the scattered thoughts in his mind, fixed his gaze on a direction, and headed deep into the Scorched Lands.

His destination was the Ghost Market, opposite the direction of the Punishment’s aura—the Punishment’s aura lay even deeper within the Scorched Lands.

Along the way, Lu Fang encountered a lone wanderer and a small squad, but large faction groups were rare.

The people here remained wary of strangers, unlike Jiang Yuan’s trio, but if you asked questions from a distance, they usually answered.

After questioning several, Lu Fang understood why he hadn’t encountered large factions: all major and minor groups stayed within their own bases, venturing out only for important matters.

Some factions advocated peaceful development and maintained friendly ties with the Luo Sha Kingdom; their bases were established around the bustling Ghost Market.

Ironically, even in this lawless heart of the Scorched Lands, any faction seeking to firmly establish itself needed support from the nearby Luo Sha Kingdom.

Of course, the factions of the Scorched Lands had an unwritten rule: if the Luo Sha Kingdom overstepped too far, they would unite in resistance.

It was precisely because of this that their relationship had endured.

The closer one got to the Ghost Market, the stricter the ban on private duels—if caught by the patrol forces of the united factions, both sides would be executed without question.

Thus, cultivators wandering the Scorched Lands could rest near the Ghost Market when weary.

Lu Fang soon saw an ancient, dilapidated city; after paying the entry fee, the gate guards didn’t trouble him—not even glancing his way. They lounged lazily, chatting and sipping tea.

Only one or two remained at the gate, reminding each entrant to pay the fee.

Their cultivation levels were low; the highest was merely fifth-rank, which was quite low for the Scorched Lands.

Guarding the Ghost Market was a leisurely post with ample perks.

Cultivators coming here rarely caused trouble, given the presence of numerous patrol forces from the united factions.

As soon as Lu Fang stepped into the city, he was stunned by the bustling streets, throngs of people, and endless stalls—it was even more prosperous than he’d imagined.