Bang!!
Suddenly, a loud crash erupted from the roof. A massive hole collapsed into the ceiling, and a dark shadow fell from above, slamming directly onto the man who had been reaching for the little girl.
Crack!!
A clear sound of bones shattering echoed through the room.The man spat out a mouthful of blood on the spot.
"Who are you?!"
The man's face was filled with shock. He looked up and saw a figure standing firmly on his chest. His ribs had been crushed to an unknown extent, and the terrifying pressure made it impossible for him to move or even struggle.
The two other men recoiled a few steps in fear, startled by the sudden intrusion.
"Where is this place?"
The figure who had fallen from the sky was, of course, Yi Tianxing. With the power of the Starry Sky Wandering Talisman, he had instantly traversed the vast void and landed here. Due to the abruptness of his arrival, he hadn't managed to stabilize himself before crashing through the rooftop.
Yet, when he caught sight of the three men threatening a helpless little girl—faces twisted with malicious intent—he made no effort to stop himself.With one powerful stomp, he shattered the man's bones and made him cough up blood on the spot.
"This is Dark City. Who are you?"
The two men, their faces pale with alarm, hesitated before answering.
"Dark City?" Yi Tianxing's eyes flickered. This ancient city emitted a stifling aura. Even its name felt ominous. But he didn't dwell on it long. He quickly scanned the room and saw a small girl curled up in a corner, her body trembling, face twisted in fear.
There was a profound distrust in her eyes—a deep wariness of the world.
"What were you doing? Attacking a powerless little girl? You must be proud of yourselves. Speak—why were you trying to take her?"
Yi Tianxing could clearly sense a dense malicious aura from the three men. Their auras made it clear: they were not good people.
The two men remained silent.
"Hmph!!"
Yi Tianxing let out a cold snort. He stepped harder with his foot. The sound of breaking bones rang out again as the man beneath him let out a horrific scream, blood spraying from his mouth—mixed with fragments of ruptured organs.
In the blink of an eye, the man stopped breathing.
One stomp—dead.
The two remaining men went pale.
"Senior, please don't be angry! We were only trying to take her to the Dark Altar as a sacrifice!"
"Yes! This sort of thing happens all the time in Dark City. You can have her! Just please, don't kill us. We'll tell you everything—no lies, we swear!"
Dark Altar (黑暗祭坛)
"What is the Dark Altar?"
Yi Tianxing frowned slightly.
"The Dark Altar is the most important treasure in Dark City. It belongs to the Dark City Lord. They say it's an artifact of gods and demons, capable of establishing communication with them. If you offer sacrifices at the altar, you'll receive gifts in return—cultivation power, skills, divine weapons, rare treasures—anything. But to get the best results, it requires blood sacrifices—with beasts or human flesh and blood. The stronger the offering, the greater the reward."
One man quickly explained.
"Yes! I even saw someone gain an instant breakthrough in cultivation after a sacrifice! They say if you offer enough, you could even become a god or immortal!"
Dark City Lord (黑暗城主)
"Who is this Dark City Lord?" Yi Tianxing asked again, frowning.
"No one knows. He only goes by the title Dark City Lord. No one knows his real name."
"How many people are in this Dark City?"
"There are over a hundred thousand residents..."
One question after another, Yi Tianxing quickly pieced together a rough understanding of the city.
According to the men, Dark City had existed since the fusion of the myriad realms. Initially, it held tens of thousands of civilians. But relentless attacks from monsters and beasts brought devastation.
Human power was too weak.
Then the Dark City Lord appeared. He claimed the City Lord's mansion, called himself ruler, and set up the Dark Altar, where anyone could offer sacrifices—anything at all—to receive goods in return.
Even offering a commoner could bring several hundred catties of rice, steaming hot buns and bread—real food. In those desperate times, starving people went mad. They sacrificed others for food, for treasures, for cultivation techniques and power.
The altar was eerie and seductive.
In no time, it brought out the darkness in everyone's hearts. Murders and secret killings spread like wildfire as people vied to offer sacrifices. It was utter chaos and horror.
Strangely, the Dark City Lord never appeared again. He said nothing and did nothing beyond leaving behind the altar. And yet, somehow, as long as the altar remained, Dark City was never attacked by monsters again—as long as humans stayed inside the city.
Outside, they were still fair game.
The entire city radiated a sense of unnaturalness. Something was deeply wrong.
"Senior… can we go now?" one of the men asked timidly.
"Go? You would offer up a defenseless little girl just to satisfy your own greed. You're no longer human—you're monsters. There's no reason to let such evil live."
Yi Tianxing's voice turned icy.
"Run!!"
The two men panicked and bolted for the exit.
Both were cultivators at the Divine Sea Realm, yet fleeing from Yi Tianxing was wishful thinking.
The moment they moved, a sword light flashed—two heads flew into the air. Blood sprayed like a fountain.
Even their souls had no chance to escape. The Yin-Yang Chains locked onto them and dragged their souls into Yi Tianxing's Yin-Yang Eyes, where they were refined and erased.
🔹 Yin-Yang Chains + Yin-Yang Eyes combo
"They're all wrong... This city is wrong. I never expected a single divine journey to land me in a place like this," Yi Tianxing muttered.
He waved his hand and sent the three corpses into the Heavenly Emperor's Tower, turning them into nourishment. Not even a drop of blood remained.
Even without stepping outside, he could sense it: the air here was thick with confusion, oppression, death, despair, fear, and madness. Seven emotions and six desires ran rampant. A vile aura permeated everything.
Yi Tianxing turned and looked at the little girl still curled tightly in the corner.
He couldn't help but feel a wave of pity. He softened his expression and approached with a gentle smile.
"Don't be afraid, little one. I'm not a bad person. What's your name? Do you have any family?"
His voice carried a strong, natural kindness—one that put people at ease and disarmed their defenses.
The little girl looked up at him.
She had seen everything that had just happened.
"So clear…" Yi Tianxing noted to himself, taken aback by her eyes.
Her gaze was pure. She could clearly sense his good intentions and wasn't afraid.
"Big brother, will you offer Nannan as a sacrifice too? Nannan is hungry... Can I finish eating what Grandpa left me before you do? I just want to eat first…"
The little girl's words made Yi Tianxing's heart tremble.
He smiled warmly.
Nannan (囡囡)
"So your name is Nannan. Don't worry—I won't sacrifice you. You're hungry, aren't you? Come, I have food."
With a flick of his hand, he produced a food box. When he opened it, the smell of steaming hot meat porridge filled the room.
Grrr...
Her body and face clearly showed signs of malnutrition. Who knew how long it had been since she had eaten real food?
Yet despite her hunger, she didn't reach out right away—she simply looked at Yi Tianxing, silently.
"It's okay. It's for you. Go ahead. I have more after this."
Yi Tianxing's heart ached even more for the girl.
"Thank you, big brother!!"
Finally, Nannan reached out and took the box.
She raised it to her lips and sipped slowly, her face lighting up as if she had just tasted the most delicious delicacy in the world. Her eyes curved into crescents—a smile of genuine joy.
Though she was starving, she ate slowly, savoring every bite of the warm porridge.
Yi Tianxing crouched quietly by her side, watching in silence. The longer he looked, the more his heart hurt.
To survive in a place like Dark City… what had this little girl gone through?
"Thank you, big brother!!"
Eventually, Nannan finished her porridge and looked up, her voice crisp and clear.