Zhou Ruoran heard Ding Fan's words, and with a somewhat wistful look at him, her eyes were still filled with deep love as she gazed at Ding Fan, saying:

"Be sure to stay safe. I want you to come back to find me alive!"

"Don't worry, I will definitely come back!"

Ding Fan said with eyes full of love for the other person. He, too, found it hard to part with Zhou Ruoran, but there was no other way since what he was about to do was extremely dangerous. Clearly, bringing Zhou Ruoran along would only make him more worried about her safety. Following Wang Hu and the others, they had strength in numbers, and the Wolong Mountain Range was relatively safe.

Apart from a few ferocious Yuan Beasts in the deep forests and mountains, there were not many powerful groups. In this Cultivation World, humans were still the most terrifying presence. As for the Yuan Beasts, as long as they were not provoked, they obviously would not attack proactively.

He Qianyao watched this scene between Ding Fan and Zhou Ruoran, feeling a bit jealous. Although she liked Ding Fan, it was clearly only her own matter. He Qianyao tried to avert her gaze from Ding Fan and Zhou Ruoran.

"You take care too! Once I'm done, I will definitely come to find you both!"

Ding Fan looked at her sincerely as he spoke. He seemed to understand what she meant, but Ding Fan clearly had no interest in contemplating this matter, and having Zhou Ruoran was enough for him. Ding Fan was not a person who liked to spread his affections, so he did not wish to betray anyone's feelings.

He Qianyao's bright eyes were like autumn water, gazing at Ding Fan. At this moment, she felt lucky because for this moment, Ding Fan belonged to her. But it was only for this moment... He Qianyao felt a mix of emotions, ultimately expressing her concern verbally:

"You take care as well."

Ding Fan nodded, saying nothing more.

Afterward, Ding Fan took Zhou Ruoran and He Qianyao over to Wang Hu and the others. Immediately, Ding Fan entrusted Wang Hu with a few words, and Wang Hu, understanding the importance of these two women to his big brother, promised Ding Fan:

"Big brother, rest assured, as long as I'm still alive, I will definitely ensure the safety of our sisters-in-law!"

Zhou Ruoran and He Qianyao were somewhat stunned after hearing Wang Hu's words. He Qianyao felt a bit embarrassed when she heard what Wang Hu said...

"This is your sister-in-law! Qianyao is my friend!"

Ding Fan said with lines of black across his face, looking at Wang Hu, feeling truly exasperated at his careless brother.

"Oh, oh, sorry... I got it wrong! Don't worry! We will definitely protect them, big brother!"

Wang Hu said, flashing a simple smile, promising Ding Fan.

Then Ding Fan bid farewell to everyone and left alone. Zhou Ruoran and the others watched Ding Fan leave, feeling very reluctant until they saw his figure disappear before following the group toward the Wolong Mountain Range.

After returning to Dancheng, Ding Fan unleashed his Divine Sense. The first thing he needed to do was dismantle all the Explosive Arrays set up by the Wild Wolf Gang in Dancheng since the activation of these arrays would cause destruction to the entire Dancheng, and the consequences would be severe. Moreover, Ding Fan owed Lord Lin Qi a favor, and now was a good time to repay it.

Or perhaps Ding Fan was simply determined to thwart the Wild Wolf Gang's plans, which were utterly atrocious and inhumane.

Ding Fan began operating in Dancheng, and finding the arrays set up by the Wild Wolf Gang was not too difficult. With his Divine Sense activated, a quarter of Dancheng's layout appeared in his mind, identifying the locations of the Explosive Arrays. Once Ding Fan released his Divine Sense, he quickly found several locations where the arrays were placed.

The arrays were quite well-concealed, with one hidden at the corner of an alleyway. It was clear that even an average cultivator passing by might not notice the array's existence. The array was composed of just a few small Array Flags, each camouflaged with miscellaneous items. Given how tiny those flags were, it was very challenging for an average cultivator to spot them.

Although the array seemed simple at glance, Ding Fan knew it was linked to the entire Dancheng! This meant once triggered, the entire Dancheng would be within the array's range, and the explosive effect would not be ordinary! It could lead to the destruction of Dancheng. Seeing this, Ding Fan once again admired the Wild Wolf Gang's ruthless tactics.

All for personal gain, they wouldn't hesitate to kill all the people in Dancheng. It was utterly depraved!

In no time, Ding Fan had completely destroyed those array flags. At this moment, Ding Fan observed the formation and had gained a comprehensive understanding of it. Although he didn't anticipate that the Wolf Gang would set such a cruel formation, covering the entire Dancheng. However, this turned out to be a good thing for Ding Fan. As long as Ding Fan found the formation's core and destroyed it, the entire formation could be dismantled without needing to destroy each array one by one.

But, clearly, what Ding Fan faced now was not the core of the great formation. Ding Fan still decided to destroy it. Ding Fan knew that if he couldn't find the core, even breaking the formation here would only provide temporary safety, while the other parts of the formation would still explode. Now that Ding Fan had arrived in front of the formation, it was obvious that he merely destroyed it on a whim.

If Ding Fan cannot find the core but destroys each formation one by one, it is clear that the formation will lose its effectiveness, as relying solely on a core cannot sustain the formation nor allow it to be activated.

Then Ding Fan walked through Dancheng, extending his Divine Sense. Soon, Ding Fan found the location of the great formation's core, and he immediately destroyed it.

When Ding Fan saw the core, he was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected the formation to be a Four Star Array Formation, which is clearly not a weak presence. But to Ding Fan, it posed no difficulty; Ding Fan could effortlessly break any formation, as long as they weren't exceptionally powerful.

Very soon, Ding Fan completely dismantled the formation. While walking in Dancheng City, he became intrigued by a matter. At that time, plenty of cultivators were discussing this in the streets and alleys. Although the Great Alchemy Competition was also a hot topic among cultivators, evidently it did not match the fervor of this matter.

"Have you heard? City Lord Lin Qi executed Elder Wang!"

"Really? Elder Wang is a Grade Eight Alchemist. Why would the City Lord execute Elder Wang? Elder Wang's death would definitely be a loss to Dancheng!"

"Indeed! Besides, Elder Wang is a Divided Spirit stage cultivator; not just any cultivator could kill him! Why would the City Lord do this?"

"Isn't it all about the City Lord position? This term of the City Lord position is about to expire, and Elder Wang is a strong contender for this term. Clearly, the City Lord executed Elder Wang to keep his position!"

"Oh my God, how could the City Lord do this? I can't believe the City Lord is this kind of person!"

"Exactly! I also can't believe it!"

"What can disbelief do? All the evidence points to the City Lord, and someone even saw the City Lord's cloak, damaged from fighting, near Elder Wang's corpse!"

"This evidence clearly explains everything! If not the City Lord, who else could kill Elder Wang? Other people lack the cultivation necessary to kill Elder Wang! Elder Wang is also a Divided Spirit stage cultivator, clearly not an ordinary existence!"

"But how could the City Lord do such a thing?"

...

For a moment, several cultivators on the street discussed this matter with incredulous expressions, clearly shocked and unable to believe the City Lord could do this. Elder Wang was very popular among the people of Dancheng, beloved by its citizens. His slaying undoubtedly filled their hearts with anger, especially when they heard that the person who killed Elder Wang was Lord Lin.

The people were stunned, unable to imagine Lin Qi could do such a thing! Lin Qi had a high reputation among Dancheng citizens. Without Lin Qi's governance in Dancheng, the city wouldn't be on par with the Great Gate Sect or host the Great Alchemy Competition!

It was all so unbelievable!

At this moment, hearing the surrounding discussions, Ding Fan seemed to have realized something. Evidently, Ding Fan was aware of these discussions; after all, Ding Fan himself had buried Elder Wang's corpse. Someone must have seen Elder Wang's body before him and spread the news inside the city. Ding Fan knew that Sun Long was behind it all, but Ding Fan was surprised at how quickly Sun Long spread the news.

Ding Fan knew it was the Wild Wolf Gang orchestrating from behind the scenes, while Sun Long was merely a pawn. Sun Long aimed to acquire the City Lord position, hence his actions. Ding Fan still didn't know the Wild Wolf Gang's ultimate intentions, but he knew he must understand something. Ding Fan knew his first task was to help the City Lord dispel the siege.

Since Ding Fan had already destroyed the formations in Dancheng, he and the City Lord clearly had no further worries.

Ding Fan immediately headed to the hotel, knowing he didn't need to rush. Sun Long had successfully released the message, but Ding Fan would soon learn their next move. Ding Fan could hear discussions about this matter throughout Dancheng.

In no time, Ding Fan returned to the hotel. The hotel owner greeted Ding Fan as warmly and politely as ever. Ding Fan responded with a light smile and returned to his room, which was the best environment in the entire hotel, even comparable to the City Lord Mansion, an excellent place for cultivation!

Ding Fan began his cultivation directly. Before his practice, he would examine the "Wind-like Sword Technique." Ever since acquiring the technique, Ding Fan hadn't had the time to look closely; finally, he had the chance. Ding Fan needed to research this swordsmanship diligently because his flying sword was already extraordinary in the Cultivation World. With this technique, Ding Fan was confident his strength would advance further!