Soon, Chen Fan and the restaurant owner appeared in a secluded courtyard.
The courtyard was remote, at the end of a long street.
Before they even got close, Chen Fan smelled a thick scent of death.
"Worse than you."
Chen Fan glanced at the owner beside him.
The restaurant owner gave a bitter smile. "Doesn't everyone do what they must to survive?"
Chen Fan was curious. "Why did you sign on as a resident of Free City?"
Becoming a resident of Free City was all about survival.
"Alas."
The restaurant owner sighed. "I offended someone I shouldn't have, and only Free City could protect my life. I had no choice but to do so."
"Alright."
Seeing that the restaurant owner didn't want to say more, Chen Fan didn't press.
Just then, they had arrived.
"Old man, are you dead or alive?"
The restaurant owner was clearly familiar with the courtyard's inhabitant and kicked the door open.
"Boom."
Unexpectedly, a surging aura of death rushed towards them.
The restaurant owner's expression changed as energy quickly surged out, pushing back the death aura.
A light shield appeared, temporarily warding off the death aura.
Chen Fan, however, remained calm, letting the death aura wash over him.
"Sizzle."
The death aura landed on his body, but Chen Fan ignored it.
A trivial matter.
Compared to the death aura released by the Emperor Corpse, this small amount of death energy was not even qualified to threaten Chen Fan.
"Ching."
A sword gleam appeared before Chen Fan.
The divine sword's might.
The sword light was sharp, directly cleaving through the death aura.
Effortlessly.
With the death aura dispersed, Chen Fan and the restaurant owner entered the courtyard.
"Rumble."
Within the courtyard, the death aura churned more violently.
"Old fellow, you're here." A weak voice rang out.
Ahead was a small room, and the voice came from within.
"Hahaha."
The restaurant owner laughed. "Old man, I thought you were already dead."
It was good that he was still alive.
"Soon."
The voice from the room was utterly exhausted.
He was truly at the brink of death.
The other party continued, "Not as lucky as you, finding someone to help you expel the death aura..."
As soon as he spoke, the other party's voice grew excited. "Beside you... hum..."
The death aura stirred slightly.
"Fellow Daoist, are you here to help me?"
At this moment, the other party finally reacted.
Some time ago, it was he who had asked the restaurant owner to find Chen Fan, hoping he could help expel the death aura.
Unfortunately, he had been refused.
And today, Chen Fan's主动 arrival made the old man immediately realize something.
"Whoosh."
A gust of wind seemed to sweep through the courtyard.
The source of the gale was Chen Fan.
The vast death aura surged madly towards his body.
The death aura that could desiccate a person was completely absorbed into Chen Fan's body.
In an instant, the death aura within the courtyard was cleared by Chen Fan.
It was that simple.
From the room, a shocked voice exclaimed, "Fellow Daoist, come in quickly..."
The other party was truly desperate.
The death aura outside was trivial; the problem inside was the main concern.
"No rush."
Chen Fan smiled faintly. "I can help, but it depends on how I help."
"As long as you are willing to help me resolve this death aura, I will agree to anything."
Chen Fan pondered. There didn't seem to be anything he needed the other party to do.
As for treasures, forget it.
The other party was already in such a dire state that any treasures would have long been depleted.
"How about this."
Chen Fan continued, "Depending on the extent of the death aura's expulsion, you will owe me a favor."
"Agreed."
The other party readily agreed. "Killing people, arson, anything is fine."
"Good, remember your promise."
"Definitely."
Creak.
The room door opened.
Beneath the room was connected to the Death Tower.
The death aura here was so dense it was suffocating compared to the outside.
It was too potent.
At the center of the death aura, a person lay on a lounge chair, his body withered, skeletal, his life force almost extinguished.
However, his glowing eyes were striking.
"Save me."
The man spoke with great difficulty.
Seeing this, Chen Fan said no more.
"Come."
His own body transformed into a black hole.
The black hole swept up the death aura in the room, all converging on him.
He absorbed as much death aura as there was.
The death aura coursed through his entire body, making Chen Fan look like a death god emerging from hell.
"Swish swish."
The death aura poured in too quickly.
A storm of death aura raged within the room.
At the center of the storm, of course, was Chen Fan.
More and more death aura gathered, and with Chen Fan's hearty laughter, it was poured into the river of rules, converted into his own rule-based death aura.
"So good."
Even a wisp of death aura leaked from the Emperor Corpse.
It was a great benefit to Chen Fan.
"So good..."
This last word was spoken by the owner of the room.
All the death aura within him had been drawn out by Chen Fan.
The feeling was incredibly satisfying.
As the death aura dissipated, a thick vitality arose.
"Boom."
Before signing the contract, the owner had been a powerful cultivator who had condensed imperial qi.
His energy had been greatly depleted over the years.
But his foundation remained.
In an instant, the aura of the Grand Perfection of Supreme surged outwards.
"Hahaha."
His withered body became full at a visible rate.
He voraciously absorbed the free-floating spiritual energy within Free City, his body filling out, his aura growing stronger.
Finally.
"Boom."
Imperial qi, which had been extinguished for countless years, reappeared.
Thunder.
Crackles.
The lightning-infused imperial qi flickered, and the man's aura became immensely powerful.
He had once again regained his former state.
For a powerful being, everything was this simple.
"Not bad."
The restaurant owner nodded. "Old fellow, how does it feel to be alive again?"
"Great, so great, hahaha..."
The man laughed heartily and cupped his fists towards Chen Fan. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist, for your help. In the future, if you require anything, just say the word. Old Nie's life is yours, and I will face any danger."
Chen Fan looked at him and smiled, nodding. "Not bad, no backing out."
"Never."
The burly man chuckled. "Though I, Old Nie, am not a good man, I value my promises above all else."
"Good."
Chen Fan nodded, then said, "Don't celebrate too soon. There are still troubles below to resolve."
He could sense that beneath this room, there was even denser death aura.
Below was the Death Tower.
"Right, right, right."
Old Nie chuckled. "There's even more death aura below. Fellow Daoist, I'll trouble you."
"Mhm."
He nodded.
Ahead, Old Nie opened a section of the floor.
The moment the floor opened, with a 'boom', the death aura in the room exploded.
Below was the Death Tower, with even more death aura.
"Wait for me here."
After instructing him, Chen Fan jumped in directly.
"Boom."
The death aura erupted, engulfing Chen Fan.
The surging, boundless death aura was a testament to how much Old Nie could endure.
Undoubtedly, this man was far stronger than the restaurant owner, which was why he had managed to hold on until now.