Super War God in the City

The next afternoon, at the border of Wuan City and Zhongnan, a handsome figure stood in front of a two-person-tall boulder along a secluded, tree-shaded ancient road.

On the boulder were four striking characters: "Zhongnan Forbidden Area!"

The figure in front of the boulder was none other than Ling Fan, who had hurried over through dust and wind.

Early in the morning, he had bade farewell to the members of the He family and took a flight to Wuan City in the neighboring province. He took a taxi to the outskirts of Zhongnan's guard lines. Going further was forbidden, so he had to spend nearly an hour trekking to get here.

Stepping over this boulder and passing through this secluded ancient road was officially entering the territory of Zhongnan Mountain. Before his serious injury, when he had not yet left the country, he had come here a few times with the old man.

However, they generally only picked herbs on the outskirts and never ventured deep into this perilous part of Zhongnan, which even daring adventurers refrained from visiting.

At first, there were some daredevils, but as the number of people who went missing increased, fewer dared to venture here, unless they were bent on finding death.

Following the route given by the old man before his death, Ling Fan shifted his figure and stepped into the ancient road without hesitation, venturing deeper.

The Gui Xu Dance Method unfurled beneath his feet, covering several yards in a single step, walking through this perilous mountain and forest as if strolling leisurely through a garden.

As he ventured deeper, he occasionally saw human skeletons on the ground, probably those of adventurers or victims of feuds among martial artists.

Having traveled about an hour, Ling Fan silently estimated that he had barely left the outskirts and entered the middle area. At this moment, he needed to be more cautious and careful.

Suddenly, Ling Fan stopped, listening intently. There were voices coming from behind this mountain ridge. He carefully approached.

He heard a few people talking.

"Miss, let's rest for a while. We've been walking for two days, and we should reach the territory of Secluded Forest Dragon Pool by tonight!" an elderly voice suggested.

"Hmm, let's rest for a while then. It would be great if my brother could also come!" the girl sighed.

"Alas, now that the He family is in trouble, Master Feichen is too overwhelmed to split himself further, otherwise, the family wouldn't have sent you to the Miao Family for help!" the elder also sighed.

"Miss, our He family will definitely turn peril into safety!" another comforting female voice chimed in.

"Yes, the difficulties will pass. I will definitely persuade my uncle to help!" the woman asserted firmly.

But in her heart, she sighed, "It's not that easy. Whether my uncle's family agrees to help is even questionable, I really don't have any confidence. Comparing both, the Yuan Family backing the Ma Family is far stronger than my uncle's family!"

The group remained silent. The crisis facing the He family was due to a challenge from the Ma Family, the leading family among the eight families on the Earth Vein.

Generally speaking, the rankings and status among the 108 families of Zhongnan are relatively stable, hardly changing over many years.

Lower-ranked families seldom challenge those above them unless a remarkably talented individual emerges or an elder in the family makes a breakthrough.

The Noble Houses of Zhongnan hold a major conference every year precisely to assess the strength of the major families and to implement checks and balances. Although not exact, the assessments offer a glimpse into the potential shifts in power.

The Ma Family's fortunes had turned, producing a nationally renowned beautiful daughter, whom the heir of the 18th ranked family on the Heavenly Vein, Yuan Family, took a liking to. With the Yuan Family's backing, the Ma Family naturally did not regard the He Family, ranked last on the Heavenly Vein, as worth fearing.

Though the difference in strength between the two families wasn't significant, the Heavenly Vein's martial arts resources were far superior to those of the Earth Vein, and the Ma Family could not be content with that.

However, the Miao Family was only ranked 31st on the Heavenly Vein, far behind the Yuan Family and not a match for them.

But both the Miao and Yuan families were among the three major families of Secluded Forest Dragon Pool, and they had a degree of mutual relations.

This time, the He family sought help hoping that the Miao Family could mediate and negotiate, a faint hope, but better than none!

Ling Fan, hiding nearby, furrowed his brows upon hearing the conversation of the group earlier, murmuring to himself, "The He family? He Feichen? It sounds like the family of the disciple I took under my wing is in trouble!"

He pondered in his heart, he too was heading to Secluded Forest Dragon Pool to find Core Milk. Since he had taken He Feichen as a nominal disciple and now that they were in trouble, it wouldn't be right for him, as their leader, to ignore them.

He immediately turned and walked out. Seeing a stranger suddenly appear, the team from the He family changed their expressions drastically and tensed up in alarm.

"Who goes there? What are you doing?" Suddenly, a sturdy young man brandished his knife and demanded coldly.

Ling Fan did not want to provoke a confrontation and planned to blend into the group first.

Immediately, he put on a smile and said, "Don't misunderstand, I'm an adventurer from the Secular World. I just happened to pass by and heard you were heading to Secluded Forest Dragon Pool, and as it happens, I'm headed the same way. I was hoping to join your company!"

"Haha, you've got it wrong, we're not taking the same path. Scram now, damn it, are there a particularly large number of idiots in the Secular World? This place isn't for you!" the young man snapped impatiently.

At that moment, a young girl sitting in the middle slightly frowned and said, "Let it be, one more person won't make a difference. Let's take him along!"

"Miss, you're just too kind. Taking this dead weight is nothing but a burden!" The young man opposed vehemently.

"If he made it this far, it demonstrates he's no ordinary person and must have some abilities!" The young girl shook her head, her mind troubled as she was constantly plagued by her family's issues.

"But people's hearts are unpredictable. How can you tell if he means well or ill? What if he turns against us?" the young man pressed again.

"With so many of us, even if something were to happen, do you really fear one man? Just let him follow at the edge and separate our meals!" the young girl said once more.

It wasn't that she was unreasonably kind, but rather in moments of desperation, one unwittingly clings to some elusive beliefs.

Just like now, she simply harbored a hope that by helping this stranger, some good karma could accumulate for her family, easing the misfortunes that beset them.

This rationale may seem ludicrous, yet it was a sliver of solace in her heart!

Seeing that the youth was insistent, the young man glared fiercely at Ling Fan with a warning, "Kid, you'd best not harbor any ill intentions, or else I won't show mercy with this Mysterious Iron Knife in my hand!"

Ling Fan forced a laugh, bowed respectfully to the young girl and said, "Thank you for your help, miss. My name is Ling Fan!"

The young girl nodded, "My name is He Feiman!"

"So, you are Miss Feiman!" Ling Fan pondered, realizing she must be He Feichen's sister.
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All of a sudden, the earlier young man burst out shouting, "How dare you, you ant from the Secular World! How could you address the miss without respect?"

Ling Fan was slightly taken aback, then his expression turned cold as he stood silent on the spot.

"Cheng Chao, hold your tongue, it's just a name after all, enough!" the young girl urged the young man, while also giving Ling Fan a glance, displeased inside with his previous discourtesy.

"Damn it, I'm warning you, watch your mouth, or I'll break your damn legs if you dare to be disrespectful again!" Cheng Chao grunted angrily.

Ling Fan's gaze flickered, then he no longer paid attention and sat down on a nearby rock, quietly observing the team.

The team consisted of nearly twenty people, apart from He Feiman, there were two other women who looked like maids, an elderly man, and the rest were about a dozen guards, with Cheng Chao appearing to be the leader of the guards.

Seeing that Ling Fan remained silent and sat aside, the guards displayed a hint of mockery, "Damn, what a coward. The Secular World really is full of trash!"

PS: Thank you all for accompanying me along the way; I will continue striving forward!

Also, I here promise that this book won't be abandoned or end abruptly; it has been three years in making, and the ending is already set!

There may be parts in the book that do not meet everyone's expectations, but I will grow and make the process more thrilling, worthy of your hours of waiting and anticipation each day!

The story has expanded greatly, and just the tip of the iceberg has been revealed so far; the true identity of the protagonist and connections to higher secrets are yet to be unveiled, and arranging the plot is quite exhausting. Some characters introduced early on will have significant roles later!

You probably can feel that I hope every character leaves an impression, such as minor characters like Qian Dayong; I am trying hard to portray each, as minor characters have their own life paths, too!

Lastly, I have sworn many times to increase updates, but it's tough... Although I may not be the fastest writer, I am truly diligent!

I will strive and fulfill my promises! Thank you for not sending me blades; much appreciated....