A tree, with countless stars.
Chen Fan touched one of the stars, which was a fruit.
"Buzz."
The fruit lit up.
Suddenly, a mental wave came.
Within the star-like fruit, a figure faintly appeared.
A slender figure, clearly a woman.
"City Lord."
The woman's mental wave came.
Chen Fan sensed it and subconsciously asked, "Who are you?"
"Hmm?"
The woman sensed something was wrong.
Her tone turned cold, "Who are you, and why can you enter and exit this place?"
Oh, sorry...
Chen Fan knew he had made a mistake, revealing that he was not the original City Lord.
He quickly explained, "My name is Chen Fan. The original City Lord, Yi Fu, has left to achieve emperorship. He then handed over the City of Freedom to me, allowing me to inherit his position as City Lord."
"What?"
This news was quite shocking.
The woman was stunned for a moment, and her emotions became agitated, "Are you sure, are you the new City Lord?"
"That's right."
Chen Fan nodded with certainty. "Think about it, if I wasn't the City Lord, how could I have inherited the City Lord's Seal, and how could I have entered here?"
The woman clearly didn't care about what he said. "Are you sure, City Lord Yi Fu has already left?"
"That's right."
"Good."
The woman's voice became even more excited. "Wait for me, I will head to the City of Freedom immediately..."
As she spoke, the star representing the woman began to dim.
"No, wait a moment." Chen Fan quickly said.
As he spoke, the gradually dimming star was instantly frozen.
Huh.
Chen Fan's eyes lit up.
He understood. This place... was actually under his control.
Rules, a sense of restraint permeated this place.
"Very strong."
This was what Chen Fan felt.
"City Lord."
The woman said helplessly, "Why must you do this? As your subordinate said, I will be in the City of Freedom to pay my respects soon."
"Well, I have another question." Chen Fan said after thinking.
"Please, speak."
The woman's tone now used a respectful address.
Chen Fan heard it but didn't mind, asking, "I want to ask, what is this place? Long Ling told me that commands can be issued here."
"This is the space within the City Lord's Seal."
The woman explained, "Lord Yi Fu once saved our lives and taught us powerful cultivation techniques. We willingly left our life imprints within the City Lord's Seal, and are happy to be dispatched by it."
Understood.
With this explanation, it was much simpler.
Chen Fan asked again, "There's something else. Why were you all so excited when you heard I inherited the City Lord's position? It seems... you didn't have much reluctance about City Lord Yi Fu's departure."
"Why should we be reluctant?"
The woman was confused. "City Lord Yi Fu has left to achieve emperorship, and..."
"And what?"
"Nothing."
Although Chen Fan couldn't see the woman's expression, he was certain she had something left unsaid.
"Does the City Lord have any more questions?"
The woman asked again. "If not, your subordinate will head to the City of Freedom as quickly as possible to pay her respects."
"..."
More questions?
Of course.
Whether it was Long Ling or others, they all seemed very enthusiastic about Chen Fan inheriting the City Lord's position.
It seemed the City of Freedom held more secrets.
"Alright."
Chen Fan released the restraint and spoke again. "In that case, I have a favor to ask of you. Help me gather some information."
"What information?"
"Information about divine artifacts."
Chen Fan did not hide anything. "Before City Lord Yi Fu left, he left the Heavenly Crown to me. I already possess other divine artifacts, but I still wish to seek out more."
"Alright."
The woman did not hesitate. "I will immediately issue orders to have people search for news of divine artifacts."
"Thank you."
"You are too kind, City Lord."
The woman added, "Each of these stars represents a person. If the City Lord wishes to issue a message, you can notify everyone."
"I will."
"Also, our lives are controlled by the City Lord's Seal. Please do not damage the stars. While it won't be fatal, if it happens during combat or cultivation, it could lead to serious consequences." the woman said.
The reason she said this was because she could see that Chen Fan had no understanding of the City Lord's Seal.
If he were to damage any of the stars, it would cause them great harm.
Chen Fan would eventually learn these things.
Rather than letting him discover them through dangerous accidents, it was better to inform him proactively.
"Okay, I understand."
"Huo Xing bids farewell."
The woman's figure gradually faded.
Huo Xing, the woman left her name before departing.
Chen Fan noted it down and began to touch the second star fruit.
"Buzz."
The star lit up again.
A second person appeared. Chen Fan, without any further patience, repeated the conversation he had with Huo Xing.
Then, the other party displayed the same excitement and eagerness as Huo Xing.
Furthermore, they stated that they would rush over on the day Chen Fan took office.
"This won't do," Chen Fan felt uncomfortable.
One or two people were one thing.
Looking at the many stars on this tree, there were too many.
Their brightness represented the strength of the corresponding individuals. The brighter, the stronger.
Those that were bright were fine, but what about those that were not so bright?
"I need to think of a way."
Chen Fan pondered, trying to devise a plan.
"Buzz."
The next moment.
Chen Fan sent out a mental wave.
The wave spread, touching every star.
Simultaneously, his voice entered the star fruits, "My name is Chen Fan. City Lord Yi Fu has departed and passed the position of City Lord to me. I have a request: I hope everyone can help me gather information about divine artifacts. Any information will suffice, and there will be generous rewards."
"Bang bang bang."
Each star trembled.
Clearly, the message had been sent.
Chen Fan's own spirit, however, was instantly weakened.
"It should have worked."
Although he didn't know the outcome, Chen Fan believed the message had been successfully transmitted.
In fact, he had originally wanted to ask the scattered individuals to help find Chu Lao Mo and Hong Si.
Of those who had ascended with him, only these two had not been found.
It was impossible to say he wasn't worried.
As long as the two didn't appear, his worry would only increase.
However, he couldn't mention it yet.
He didn't know the true nature of each of these individuals, even though they formed the backbone of the City of Freedom.
Chu Lao Mo and Hong Si had not revealed themselves yet.
Perhaps... they were hiding exceptionally well.
If he were to search for them now, it might easily lead people to suspect that they also came from the lower realm, potentially making the situation even more dangerous.
"Let's leave it at that for now."
With one last glance at the ancient tree and the star fruits, Chen Fan withdrew from the space within the City Lord's Seal.
He opened his eyes.
"City Lord."
Long Ling was still waiting nearby.
"En."
Chen Fan nodded and asked, "Who is Huo Xing?"
Long Ling replied, "She is one of the top powerhouses among the scattered individuals, a titled Emperor."
The former Han Ye was no longer comparable to these powerful figures.
As his realm ascended, the people he knew also grew stronger.
It seemed that anyone who appeared was a titled Emperor.