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nDespite what he thought, Shif wouldn’t say it aloud. He didn’t have a death wish. The most important thing wasn’t to find out why Peklon was here but to get rid of him!

nShif grew pale and said weakly, “My lord, I don’t feel so well. I think I need to go to bed now. We’ll have to pick up this conversation later.”

n“You don’t feel well?” Peklon frowned and became concerned.

nThings seemed to fall in place, and that independent cultivator was apparently telling the truth!

n“What’s wrong? Let me take a look!”

n“It’s a condition I have had since I was little. It’s not curable, but it’ll pass in a moment. My lord, please don’t trouble yourself,” Shif said nervously.

nThe more he tried to stall, the more suspicious he seemed. The look in Peklon’s eyes became cold. But it wasn’t the time to strike yet. He had no excuse, at least not before Shif’s true self was exposed.

nShif’s stomach sank when he saw Peklon showing no intention to leave.

nHad he found something out already?

nThat shouldn’t be possible!

nEven Shif’s family members weren’t aware of his other side; how could Peklon know?

n“Lord Baih, my stomach doesn’t feel well. I need to use the bathroom…” He rose to his feet and headed out without waiting for a reply, walking past Peklon.

nShif thought, My lord, I’m not a cold-blooded person, but you just had to drop by at this hour and become suspicious of me. You’ve left me no choice.

nHe didn’t slow down. With an evil aura bursting out of him, Shif struck the back of Peklon’s head.

n“You can’t wait any longer, can you?” Peklon snorted, and his spiritual essence smashed Shif away.

nIf he had been caught off guard, Shif would have succeeded. However, Peklon already knew Shif had a questionable background and confirmed it from his reaction. Naturally, he was on guard.

nShif realized things had gone very wrong. The city lord didn’t just drop by. He was here on purpose!

nThat shouldn’t have happened. Shif didn’t think that he had exposed himself anywhere, so how did Peklon know? Could it be because of that young man?

nHowever, now wasn’t the time to think about that. If he didn’t run now, Peklon would probably kill him!

nThe only good news for Shif was Peklon’s strike had created some distance between them, giving him a good chance to get away.

nRun?

n“Damn it!” Peklon cursed loudly. He had struck back out of instinct. He now realized that the distance had given Shif an opportunity to get away.

nAlthough he was a capable Nascent cultivator, Shif was an experienced Golden Core cultivator who had almost reached the senior phase. He had won the groom contest without much difficulty, and his capability was also what won Peklon’s recognition.

nThat was the reason that Peklon had an ominous feeling. With Shif’s capability, he could hardly escape, but there was also that dark aura. Maybe it would help him get away!

nPeklon ran after Shif without hesitation, but the other party was nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had vanished into thin air.

nStill, Peklon had to find the man.

nHe immediately took out his City Lord’s Decree, which was the most important object in the city and the item that symbolized the city lord’s status.

nIts other important function was to activate a shield around the city. Anyone below the Nascent stage wouldn’t be able to come in and out of the city.

nThat was the ability of this specific City Lord’s Decree. Cities with higher levels would have corresponding City Lord’s Decrees that had stronger power.

nIt was said when the City Lord’s Decree was activated in Cloud City at the center of the continent, no living creatures apart from the emperor could enter or leave the city.

nThat was only a rumor, though. No one knew who had the City Lord’s Decree in Cloud City since no one saw it. They couldn’t even say for sure that it existed.

nCloud City was where the eight emperors resided. Such a place didn’t need a city lord or a City Lord’s Decree.

nPeklon activated the City Lord’s Decree without hesitation. The next second, everybody in the city seemed to have sensed something. Many people got out of bed to see what was happening.

n“Why is the City Lord’s Decree activated? Is the great beast herd here?”

n“Doesn’t that happen once every six months? It’s only been three months since the last one!”

n“Maybe one of the beast kings made a breakthrough.”

n“I don’t think so. That should bring forth abnormal weather, but everything’s normal!”

n“I guess Lord Baih activated it by accident in his sleep.”

n“Don’t you know how the City Lord’s Decree is activated? It needs the city lord’s spiritual essence and blood. Both of them have to be used, together with an incantation. Are you saying Lord Baih did all that in his sleep?”

n“Then what’s going on?”

nPeklon clenched his teeth and made an announcement through the City Lord’s Decree. It was another one of its functions. He could talk to the entire city through it.

n“Shif, the winner of today’s contest, has turned out to be a heresy cultivator!

n“Heresy cultivators are the enemies of all the people in Stelladom, and everybody has the responsibility to destroy them!

n“Shif is on the run, and I’ve activated the shield. There’s nowhere he can go. We must bring this heresy cultivator to justice!

n“All members of the City Lord’s Manor should set out immediately and catch Shif!

n“If he resists arrest, kill him on the spot!”

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