Facing the endless ridicule of the crowd, Lu Fan showed a slight smile, "Ghost Shadow, these people are yours to deal with. Make it quick!"
Upon receiving the command, Ghost Shadow's eyes instantly turned cold. An afterimage appeared before the middle-aged man. Before the man could react, he felt a chilling cold and a wave of fear he had never experienced before.
"Weren't you quite the talker just now? Why are you mute now?"
Ghost Shadow grabbed the middle-aged man with one hand, a faint cold glint appearing, looking rather meaningful.
At these words, the man's face instantly turned grim. He had never imagined Ghost Shadow's strength to be so formidable, so much so that it left him breathless. Just moments ago, they had clearly sensed Ghost Shadow teleporting.
On a large tree not far away, Hu Yu was eating fruit and watching the battle unfold. His heart stirred, and he naturally hadn't expected Ghost Shadow's strength to be so immense. He had clearly misjudged.
He had initially thought Lu Fan and Ghost Shadow were ordinary individuals. But now, it seemed that was not the case. If he was not mistaken, Ghost Shadow was likely a Saint.
In the entire Eastern Domain, reaching the Saint realm at such a young age indicated an extraordinary background.
At this very moment, the middle-aged man was also terrified, his legs feeling weak. He had intended to teach Lu Fan a lesson, but he never expected they would be no match for Lu Fan, being completely suppressed by Ghost Shadow.
"Do not attempt to resist, or you will die a terrible death!"
With a faint smile, Ghost Shadow said directly, "The reason I am not killing you now is because I want to see your terrified eyes. You were so arrogant in the tavern, now you should know there are people beyond the heavens, shouldn't you?"
"I know, I know!"
The middle-aged man panicked, "It is I who was ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth and offended two lords. I hope the two lords can be merciful and spare my life. I will never dare to do so again!"
"Spare your life?"
Ghost Shadow smiled faintly, "That might not be appropriate! After all, you were so arrogant just now. If we truly spare your life, perhaps you will be even more arrogant than you are now!"
Feeling a killing intent, the middle-aged man's face turned ashen. "Do not act recklessly. If anything happens to me, the sect will not stand by idly. You will also be impacted then!"
"Are you threatening us?"
Ghost Shadow's expression turned indifferent. "You may not know, but I detest threats the most. Therefore, you must die today!"
"Offending the Sky Wolf Sect will surely lead to endless pursuit!"
The middle-aged man repeatedly said, "As long as you spare my life, all these matters can be resolved!"
However, Ghost Shadow paid no heed to these words. He simply made a move with his hand, and the middle-aged man met his end.
Seeing this, the expressions of the many followers instantly became flustered. They had never expected things to turn out this way, leaving them caught off guard and shaken.
Meanwhile, Lu Fan also frowned and said to Ghost Shadow, "This matter does not concern these people. Do not take their lives!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Ghost Shadow quickly nodded, his gaze even more solemn. He was well aware that Lu Fan's orders could not be disobeyed.
"Thank you, my lord, for sparing my life! Thank you, my lord!"
Everyone knelt and kowtowed, their eyes filled with panic. At this point, they dared not make any rash moves, given Lu Fan's power. Any slight misstep could lead to endless repercussions.
After they left, Ghost Shadow spoke, "My lord, why did you protect them? They deserved to die."
"There is no one in this world who deserves to die!"
Lu Fan shook his head and said, "Besides, they were not necessarily destined to die. It is not impossible to spare their lives!"
"Since my lord has said so, I will naturally not take action against them anymore!" Ghost Shadow nodded slightly, feeling somewhat helpless.
However, at this very moment, Lu Fan's gaze drifted into the distance, a faint cold glint appearing.
Hu Yu, sitting on a branch and quietly eating fruit, showed an awkward expression upon seeing Lu Fan's gaze. He had not expected Lu Fan to discover him.
"I have already left Boundary City. Isn't it time to return that thing to me?" Lu Fan narrowed his eyes, looking directly at Hu Yu with a serious expression.
At these words, Hu Yu smiled faintly and said nothing. He directly approached Lu Fan and said, "Actually, I am very curious. Which holy land are you from!"
"How can you be so sure we are from a holy land?" Lu Fan looked at Hu Yu with great interest.
"If you were not from a holy land, how could you possess such strength? Reaching the Saint realm at such a young age is not something an ordinary person can achieve!" Hu Yu stated directly, "Therefore, for you to enter the Central Plains would be as simple as waving a hand."
"What you say is quite true. However, as you said, entering the Central Plains can be achieved with a wave of the hand. It seems you are the same!" Lu Fan smiled faintly.
"You are right. I can indeed go to the Central Plains, but I am waiting for someone, so you go ahead!" Hu Yu smiled slightly, "When we reach the Central Plains, I will naturally contact you!"
"Are you saying you have no intention of returning the Divine Emperor Cauldron to me?"
Lu Fan smiled faintly, his eyes becoming sharp. If Hu Yu truly had such intentions, he would not mind taking action. In such situations, action was preferred over words.
"What are you saying? I am not that kind of person!"
Hu Yu said with a sincere expression, "However, that thing you gave me when I left Boundary City seems to be lost. I've actually been looking for it too!"
"Lost?"
Lu Fan was slightly taken aback. He had not expected Hu Yu to speak like this, leaving him truly unsure of how to respond.
"Are you kidding me? That is not an ordinary item. How could it be lost!"
Ghost Shadow frowned, looking at Hu Yu with hostility. If the item was truly lost, it would be a significant blow to them.
"I can't help it either! So I want to go back to Boundary City to look for it!" Hu Yu said earnestly, showing no sign of evasion.
However, faced with these words, Lu Fan did not believe him at all. Instead, he smiled, "Since it's lost, then follow me from now on! I'll take care of you, and you can compensate me for that item. What do you think?"
"Are you serious?" Hu Yu looked at Lu Fan with alarm and wariness.