Summoning the Gods: Start by creating the Eternal Night.

night.

Inside the main hall of the city lord's mansion, Li Wujiu was intently examining the dossier in his hand, his brows furrowed.

The guards sent to monitor Yi Shangtian have yet to send back any unusual information.

Reportedly, the old man did nothing but stand guard beside the coffin in the side hall.

"Am I just overthinking it?"

Li Wujiu rubbed his throbbing temples and put the file down.

Just then, a report came from outside the hall:

"Lord of the City, the Grand Elder requests an audience."

Li Wujiu's eyes sharpened:

"Let him in."

Yi Shangtan, dressed in casual clothes, slowly walked into the hall and bowed in greeting.

"City Lord."

"What is it?"

Li Wujiu spoke calmly, but his gaze was fixed on the other person like that of a hawk.

Yi Shangtan raised his head, his expression solemn:

"Lord of the city, recently, cultivators from the Ghost King Sect have been frequently seen loitering around the City of Sin, their movements are elusive."

"Your subordinate requests permission to lead men to patrol the surrounding area and investigate their movements in order to prevent them from plotting anything."

Li Wujiu's heart skipped a beat; there had indeed been unfamiliar forces active outside the city recently.

It has not yet been determined whether it belongs to the Ghost King Sect.

He recalled Indra's reminder, and changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat probing:

"Great High Priest, I killed your son, and you did not bury him first!"

"Instead, you're in such a hurry to leave the city to patrol; are you planning to collude with someone to take revenge on me?"

Yi Shangtan's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself:

"Did Li Wujiu discover something?"

Then, after a moment's thought, he calmed down.

"No! This must be a test!"

"Thump"

Yi Shangtai knelt on both knees, his tone earnest:

"We implore the City Lord to see the truth!"

"My son has tarnished the reputation of Sin City and deserves to die. I have absolutely no intention of blaming him!"

"As the High Priest, I should naturally prioritize the safety of the City of Sin. How could I possibly let personal matters interfere with my duty?"

Li Wujiu stared at him for a long time. Although he still had doubts, the matter of the Ghost King Sect was indeed not to be taken lightly.

If you refuse outright, it will make you seem guilty and give others cause for gossip.

"Hmph! You'd better do that, otherwise... you know what I'm capable of!"

"In that case, go and make preparations. We shall depart first thing tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir!"

Yi Shangtan quickly stood up and bowed.

As he left, a fleeting glint of resentment and ruthlessness flashed in his eyes, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

After he left, Li Wujiu immediately summoned his trusted city guard commander, his voice low and solemn:

"Pass down the order: the entire city is on high alert! Activate the city's defensive array to its highest level!"

"No matter what happens outside the city, no one is allowed to leave the city without my order!"

"Furthermore, send ten guards to follow the Grand Elder. Report back immediately if there are any unusual movements!"

"Yes!" The city guard commander accepted the order and withdrew.

Li Wujiu walked outside the hall, gazing at the gloomy sky, his eyes flashing with a chilling light:

"Yi Shangtai, if you dare to do anything to betray Sin City, I will make you wish you were dead!"

...

The next day,

North Gate of Sin City.

Yi Shangtan was dressed in military uniform, and the wound on his severed arm had been treated with a special ointment.

Although there is some inconvenience in movement, it has little impact.

He was followed by a hundred cultivators, only a handful of whom were trusted confidants of the Yi family; the rest were rogue cultivators recruited temporarily.

At this moment, everyone looked tense, as if they were about to carry out a dangerous mission.

"Listen up, everyone!"

Yi Shangtai's voice was hoarse as he glanced at the crowd.

"The main purpose of this patrol is to investigate the movements of the Ghost King Sect."

"You may retaliate if provoked, but do not initiate combat unless absolutely necessary. Remember, our mission is reconnaissance!"

"yes!"

The hundred cultivators responded in unison, but their voices sounded somewhat stiff.

Yi Shangtian nodded in satisfaction and leaped into the air:

"Set off!"

The convoy slowly drove out of the North Gate and headed towards Black Wind Ridge outside the city.

……

Several hours later, the group reached the edge of a dense forest.

Yi Shangqi caught a glimpse of several concealed figures in the woods with his divine sense. A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he thought to himself:

"Li Wujiu, you really don't trust me. You actually sent someone to follow me."

"Hmph, perfect."

"If we lure you out of the city today, you'll never return!"

He remained calm and continued leading the group toward Black Wind Ridge, where they had agreed to meet the mysterious man.

A moment later, the group entered the territory of Black Wind Ridge.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Dozens of figures in black darted out, their auras chilling, and their cultivation levels were at least at the Void Realm.

Each of them wielded a sharp blade and instantly surrounded the patrol team.

"kill!"

One of the men in black, who was in the lead, gave a low shout, and the group immediately pounced on him.

"Enemy attack!"

The rogue cultivators were immediately thrown into chaos. Their cultivation levels were already low, and seeing this, they were thrown into disarray.

Screaming and fleeing in all directions, they were no match for the men in black.

Within moments, the casualties were heavy.

Yi Shangtian's close associates quickly separated from the rogue cultivators.

The fight with the man in black appeared intense, but it was actually full of hidden strategies.

Yi Shangtan rose into the air and stood there, shouting angrily:

"You audacious madman! How dare you attack my Sin City team!"

The two men in black who were leading the group also took off, revealing their sinister faces:

"Hehehe! Yi Gongfeng, how have you been?"

Yi Shangtai feigned anger:

"Grand Elder and Second Elder of the Ghost King Sect! It's you!"

"Why did you ambush us?"

The Second Elder gave a sinister, eerie laugh:

"Hehehe, guess?"

The Grand Elder, however, did not want to waste words:

"Enough talk, take this!"

Before the words were even finished, the First Elder and the Second Elder attacked simultaneously:

"Mad Demon Strike!"

"Demon Strike!"

Two pitch-black palm prints, carrying a chilling, ghostly aura, hurtled straight at Yi Shangqi.

Yi Shangtan quickly raised his palm to defend:

"Sinful Palm!"

"boom!"

When their three palms clashed, Yi Shangqi, though also at the peak of the Celestial Realm,...

However, he was no match for the two of them working together and was sent flying hundreds of meters backward, his blood churning.

He took the opportunity to send a telepathic message to the Grand Elder of the Ghost King Sect:

"You said it was just an act, are you serious now?"

The Grand Elder replied telepathically:

"Hehehe, if it doesn't look realistic, will the tail at the back of your group believe it?"

Yi Shangtan gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath:

"grass!"

They had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue the "bitter battle".

The three fought fiercely, their palms flashing and waves of energy radiating outwards.

A moment later,

Yi Shangtai was "accidentally" struck in the chest by the Grand Elder.

He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.

"Damn it!"

He cursed inwardly.

"That old bastard actually went for the kill!"

That slap used at least eight-tenths of its force, and the pain made his internal organs feel like they had shifted.

Deep within the dense forest, the ten spies from the city lord's mansion who had been following them witnessed this scene clearly:

Yi Shangtai collapsed to the ground, severely injured. Apart from a few close confidants who were still struggling to hold on, all the other accompanying cultivators had been killed.

A captain of the city lord's secret guards whispered:

"Something's wrong! The Grand Elder may have really been attacked! Quickly send a message back to the City Lord's Mansion!"

Two people were left to continue monitoring, while the rest immediately turned and sped towards Sin City.

On Black Wind Ridge, Yi Shangqi lay on the ground, his divine sense detecting the movements of the guards, a smug smile appearing on his lips.

"Li Wujiu, come quickly..."

He muttered to himself,

"On the road to the underworld, my son will have someone to keep him company."

The Grand Elder of the Ghost King Sect also witnessed the departure of the Sin City's secret guards.

A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips as he spoke to the Second Elder via telepathy:

"That's about it. Proceed according to plan."

The second elder nodded and called out loudly:

"Yi Shangtai, today is your death day!"

The three then engaged in a dramatic battle!

....

Meanwhile, at the Lord's Mansion of Sin City.

A bodyguard tumbled and crawled into the main hall:

"Lord City Lord! Something terrible has happened!"

News has come from the front that the High Priest has been attacked at Black Wind Ridge.

Surrounded and attacked by the First and Second Elders of the Ghost King Sect, they were severely injured, and their entire team was almost wiped out!

Li Wujiu suddenly stood up, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Are you sure?"

The guard nodded and reiterated his affirmation:

"Lord City Lord, the guards who went to track us saw it with their own eyes!"

After a moment's thought, Li Wujiu spoke to the city guard commander beside him:

"Send word: have the Second and Third Elders accompany me to Black Wind Ridge!"

"Lord, you mustn't!"

Upon hearing this, the city's commander hurriedly offered advice.

"What if this is a trap..."

"I know, you'll see when you go."

Li Wujiu interrupted the city guard commander.

"If it really is the Ghost King Sect attacking, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Furthermore, Yi Shangtai is, after all, the Grand Elder of my City of Sin. If I do not go, the people's hearts will surely be in turmoil."

"You and your men must protect Sin City!"

"Yes, sir!"

Seeing that Li Wujiu had made up his mind, the city's commander said no more.

Li Wujiu no longer hesitated, and his figure blurred.

Carrying the second and third offerings, they tore through space and sped towards Black Wind Ridge.

P.S.: The missing chapter has been added. Thank you all for your support!