Lu Fan continued practicing for a few months until his supply of pills ran out. Since his valley had no spirit vein, cultivating without pills would be far too slow. Realizing this, he decided to travel to another city to restock.
While journeying, he made a stop at Baihu City, intending to gather supplies and possibly find useful cultivation resources. However, this was the worst possible time to be in the city.
A Fateful Visit to the Black Market
Lu Fan, out of habit, visited the black market to search for rare or unusual items. As he browsed through various cultivation manuals, a particular text caught his attention—the Demonic Weapon Manual. It detailed an ancient method to refine weapons using blood essence and resentment, making them stronger than ordinary weapons. Curious about its potential applications in forging, Lu Fan purchased the manual.
Feeling satisfied with his acquisition, he returned to his inn to rest. But just as he entered his room, an ominous pressure descended upon the entire city.
A City Under Siege
Suddenly, a massive formation activated, covering Baihu City in a dark crimson glow. A terrifying aura spread through the air, and eerie wails echoed across the city. Lu Fan immediately sensed danger—something was very wrong.
He rushed to the window and saw people screaming and running as ghostly figures emerged from the shadows. The evil cultivators who arranged this formation had begun their work—a massive blood refinement ritual.
The method was cruel and horrifying. Ghosts hunted down the living, draining their blood and turning their bodies into dry mummies. The souls of the dead were captured and refined into energy for the ritual. Baihu City had no Foundation Building expert—it was just a city of Qi Cultivators and ordinary people, meaning there was no one strong enough to fight back.
In the streets below, Qi Cultivators tried to resist, using fire and sword techniques against the spirits, but their attacks barely made a difference. Even those who managed to kill a ghost would find another taking its place. The city was doomed.
A Desperate Escape
His first thought was to run, but the formation sealed the entire city, preventing anyone from escaping.
Lu Fan knew he couldn't afford to wait for help.
Quickly assessing his options, he decided to use his fertilizer bombs. They were originally meant for setting traps, but now they would serve a different purpose—breaking the formation.
Moving to a less crowded part of the city, he set up the bombs against a weak point in the formation's barrier. With a deafening explosion, a small opening appeared. The formation trembled, and for a brief moment, an escape route was available.
Without hesitation, Lu Fan rushed through the gap, leaving Baihu City behind as screams of agony echoed from within. He didn't know the reason behind the massacre, but he knew one thing—this was just the beginning.
Lu Fan was sprinting away from Baihu City when he suddenly felt a shift in the air. Turning back, he saw the formation begin to crumble. The ominous red glow flickered, and cracks spread across the barrier.
He stopped in his tracks.
"The formation is collapsing? Did someone else interfere?" he muttered, narrowing his eyes.
For a moment, he considered continuing his escape—he had no reason to stay in a doomed city. But then, he clenched his fists.
Anger burned within him.
These evil cultivators had slaughtered innocent people. Their cruel ritual had turned an entire city into a graveyard. Even though Lu Fan wasn't a hero, he wasn't heartless either. If the formation was breaking, it meant these evil cultivators weren't invincible.
His eyes flashed with determination.
"Fine. Let's see who's hunting who now."
Lu Fan turned around and charged back into Baihu City.
As he entered, he saw the chaotic battlefield—ghosts still roamed the streets, attacking any survivors. The evil cultivators, sensing their formation failing, were desperately trying to sustain their ritual.
But they didn't expect someone to return.
Lu Fan raised his hand, and arcs of electricity crackled around him.
"Lightning Palm!"
A bolt of thunder erupted from his palm, striking a ghost that was chasing a wounded cultivator. The ghost let out a shriek of agony before disintegrating into nothingness.
Lu Fan smirked. Ghosts feared electricity.
He dashed forward, fists crackling with lightning, and began systematically eliminating the ghosts. Each time his Thunder Body-Tempering Art activated, his attacks grew stronger. Every punch and kick sent bolts of electricity surging through the spectral bodies, reducing them to ash.
The evil cultivators noticed him.
"That brat! Kill him!" one of them shouted, realizing Lu Fan was disrupting their ritual.
Lu Fan just smiled.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
He had been planning to test his strength—and now, the perfect opponents had arrived.
Lu Fan moved like a storm of destruction, his fists and feet crackling with pure lightning energy. He wasn't just a Qi cultivator—his body-tempering had pushed his physical strength beyond that of ordinary cultivators.
The evil cultivators, mostly around Level 3 to Level 5 in Qi cultivation, had little chance against him.
A group of them lunged at him, weapons coated in dark energy.
"Kill him together! Don't let him disrupt the ritual!"
Lu Fan sneered.
"Too late for that."
He stepped forward and threw a punch, unleashing a Lightning Shockwave. The force of the attack sent three cultivators flying, their bodies convulsing as electricity burned through their meridians.
One tried to escape—Lu Fan flicked his wrist, sending a Thunder Spear straight through his chest.
Another demonic cultivator summoned a bone shield to block his attack. Lu Fan simply wrapped his fists in electricity and shattered it in a single blow.
Ghostly wails filled the air as he continued his onslaught.
Nemesis of Evil Cultivators
Unlike other cultivators who had to use special talismans or fire techniques against these spectral enemies, Lu Fan's thunder made him a nightmare for evil cultivators.
His lightning burned away dark Qi, destroyed resentful souls, and paralyzed enemies before they could counterattack.
By the time he was done, the evil cultivators lay scattered and broken around him. The ghosts that remained were too weak to resist.
Lu Fan stood amidst the wreckage, his body still crackling with power.
"Hunting the weak and using human sacrifices? You deserved worse."
With the city nearly cleared of threats, he turned his attention to the ruined ritual altar. Something was still off—what exactly were they trying ?