Infinite Slaughter System: I Kill, Therefore I Ascend!-Chapter 230: Meeting An Old Friend Again!

Li Ling left his residence with Lingyi's faint baby scent still clinging to his sleeves.

The Holy City was as orderly as ever with its broad black roads, marked pavements, and controlled aerial lanes flowing above like a magical river of swords and airships.

Yet the moment he stepped out, this "order" began to unravel slowly as people noticed his presence.

This was naturally because in a demonic "holy" city where fighting was forbidden and everyone pretended to be civilized, there was now a single man whose name made that pretense feel thin.

Whispers spread before he even reached the next street.

"That's him, isn't it?"

"The one who stomped Wang Feng's head like fruit…"

"He killed Lin Yan and his Junior Sister in front of everyone…"

"They say even when he conceded, Li Ling still—"

"Shut up! Don't say too much! He might hear!"

Disciples of the sect who were moving about at ground level immediately drew back from Li Ling as if the pavement around him had become contaminated.

The few non-sect disciples ignorant of the inner workings of the Six Paths Demon Sect lowered their heads instinctively, confused by the sudden fear in the air.

Merchants and vendors who would normally eagerly hawk goods in any cultivator's face now swallowed their sales pitches whole, smiling stiffly with the caution of men who had heard a tiger was walking past.

A few bold ones, the typical young fools who still believed in the city's rules and their own importance, began to mutter in low voices.

"Pffft, is he really that terrifying? Seems overhyped to me."

"Tsk, look at how everyone is cowering like dogs! At the end of the day, just one person, no?"

After boldly making these comments, the friends or protectors of these fellows would grab their sleeves and drag them away as if their lives depended on it, because after the tournament, everyone understood one truth.

The rules of the sect could only bind those who were weak enough to believe in them.

Li Ling walked through it all with a relaxed posture, hands tucked into his sleeves, gaze drifting over the Holy City like a tourist.

"So this is what notoriety feels like?" he thought, mildly amused.

Indeed, Andrew Han was right. Everyone pretends they're safe in society because of the social contract, but the moment someone breaks the illusion, they look like rabbits that have seen a wolf among them.

Soon enough, Li Ling reached the teleportation square and noted that it was as busy as always.

The teleportation square of the Holy City was an open public hub with countless cultivators coming and going, the air full of faint light from shifting portals.

Yet when Li Ling stepped into the square, the noise dipped just slightly, like a crowd unconsciously holding its breath.

At the edge of the main array, a cluster of True Human Hall Path Walkers who handled the daily maintenance and management of the teleportation square looked up at the same time.

Their eyes widened with shock, then they immediately surged forward like ants sensing sugar.

"Senior Brother!"

"Senior Li!"

"Patriarch Li Ling!"

The first one practically bowed at the waist, smiling so hard it looked painful. "Senior, are you traveling? This junior can humbly escort you—"

"No, no, let me! Senior Li Ling, this junior is more familiar with the special routes!" another snapped, shoving him aside with a forced laugh.

A third one stepped forward with a flourish, trying to look both competent and humble. "Senior, please allow this junior—"

They were already squabbling as their elbows bumped against each other, polite words to each other hiding darker intent.

At this point, they weren't fighting with fists—because the Holy City's rules still mattered to peons like them—but if words could draw blood, the ground would have been drenched by now.

Li Ling watched the spectacle with a faint smile, crossing his arms over his chest and tilting his head slightly.

Indeed, these True Human Hall disciples really were a special breed.

In a demonic sect, everyone tried to climb up, usually by happily dragging down another to advance.

But these fellows? Rather than use fists or murderous schemes like most of the sect, they simply opted to rise through lower-level bureaucracy.

As for the higher-level bureaucracy, that was obviously the path used by the Divine Deva Path Practitioners.

"Alright, alright, enough of this. Just get me where I want to go," Li Ling said lazily.

The three froze instantly, bowing even lower as sweat formed on their heads, realizing they were standing before the malevolent killer who even dared to slaughter generational talents, much less them.

Then a familiar voice cut in from the side, loud and smug.

"Move, move, move! Are you blind? Can't you see the Infinite Slaughter Clan Patriarch has places to be?!"

A round figure squeezed through the cluster like a boulder rolling downhill.

Fatty Pang Wen.

Only… not quite the same Fatty Pang Wen.

His body was still plump, yes, and his face still had that cheerful, greasy merchant charm, but the aura around him had changed.

There was a density to it now, a stability that only came after the core had been formed.

His eyes were brighter too, the kind of brightness that came from finally being able to look down on half the people who used to ignore you.

The True Human Hall Path Walkers stiffened the moment they felt his cultivation.

"Golden Core…!!"

"H-He's already at Core Formation?!"

Pang Wen snorted and waved them off like flies. "What, you want to fight me for the honor? Come, come, I'll let you have the first move!"

Arrogant! Shameless! Domineering! 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

The first-realm Path Walkers' lips twitched as no one dared to move. Instead, they simply forced their smiles wider and stepped aside with lowered heads.

Pang Wen turned toward Li Ling, his face lighting up instantly.

"Best Buddy Patriarch Li, long time no see! By the heavenly dao, you're still as handsome and terrifying as ever! How does it feel to be the one ruining the dreams of geniuses across the continent?"

Li Ling's lips twitched. "Fatty Pang Wen, you're still alive? How haven't you died on a woman's belly yet?"

Pang Wen clutched his chest dramatically. "Ah! Such cold words, Patriarch Li! I almost died of grief!"

"Almost? Why don't I help you make it official then?" Li Ling asked with amusement.

Pang Wen froze for a heartbeat, then laughed awkwardly. "Haha… Patriarch Li really jokes like a seasoned Asura Path Practitioner!"

Rolling his eyes, Li Ling stepped past him. "Enough playing around, Fatty Pang. Lead the way."

Pang Wen rubbed his hands together, delighted. "Of course, of course! Since it's you, we don't queue like peasants."

He guided Li Ling away from the public arrays into a side passage located behind the administrative platform in the square.

The noise of the square faded quickly, replaced by the subtle vibration of high-level formations as well as the footsteps of important people who didn't need to use the same gateways as the common folk.

They emerged into a much more restricted section that was a cleaner and wider cavern-like chamber that had fewer people, the weakest of which were at the fourth realm.

Almost everyone who was going up and down stiffened the moment they saw Li Ling, having been direct witnesses to his cruelty last month.

Pang Wen leaned close, lowering his voice as if sharing a delicious secret.

"This is the Six Paths Demon Sect's exclusive teleportation hub for sect members with real status. This is the only proper way to access the middle and upper layer of the sect. None of the public arrays can achieve this!"

Li Ling's gaze slid around. "So the middle layer is through here?"

"Indeed! The middle layer is located in a separate Grotto Heaven world that is basically a secret realm with much purer spiritual energy, and supposedly beautiful scenery that is closed off from the rest of the world, like a paradise for cultivators. From what I know, most of the sect's real resources are grown and produced there." Pang Wen nodded, then puffed his chest a little, enjoying the fact he got to explain something.

He clicked his tongue. "If you're a normal person moving up after the tournament, you'd probably cry tears of joy the moment you breathe that air. It's like going from drinking muddy ditch water to drinking spring dew."

Li Ling's expression didn't change. "And how do you know this?"

Pang Wen grinned. "Because I cried myself, of course. Then I remembered I'm still a small fry and stopped crying."

Li Ling gave him a side glance. "Yet you're already Core Formation when you were in Qi Refinement almost a year ago."

Pang Wen's grin became smug. "Heh, Brother Li, don't insult me. I'm a True Human Hall disciple and we specialize in mundanity. Mundanity means connections, and connections mean resources."

He wagged his eyebrows. "And I also made good money off your chaos, Brother Li."

Li Ling chuckled softly. "So you're still a conniving merchant."

"Always! Even if I become immortal, I'll still sell somebody's ancestor's bones for the right price!" Pang Wen declared proudly.

Before Li Ling could comment on the fellow's audaciousness, they arrived at a branching junction where one path led toward a corridor of refined light with a faint floral scent.

Looking at those coming to and from there, plus what Fatty Pang Wen had told him, Li Ling deduced that that must be the way to the middle-layer access portal.

Pang Wen didn't even give it a cursory glance as he walked past it, striding toward an even smaller and more remote area where fewer cultivators came from, the air here felt different.

It felt older and denser, like a stone lock that had been sitting beneath the world for ten thousand years.

Li Ling's eyes narrowed slightly. "The upper layer is this way?"

Pang Wen nodded, then snorted. "Indeed, and here comes the funny part."

He pointed upward with one hand and downward with the other.

"The lower layer of the sect is in the Holy City, right? This can be considered as the 'middle plane' that resides between the heavens and the subterranean, the place where mortals and cultivators mix."

Li Ling didn't respond, letting him talk.

"The middle layer is a detached Grotto Heaven world which resides in the firmament, an 'upper plane' if you will. It's beautiful, pure, and closed off, looking down on all things from above," Pang Wen continued, his voice taking on a storyteller's rhythm.

Then he leaned in suddenly, his narrow eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

"But the upper layer…"

He jabbed a thumb toward the ground.

"…is underground!"

Li Ling paused and looked down. "Underground?"

Pang Wen laughed. "Yes, underground! In actual fact, it's supposedly located at the core of the world, a kind of 'lower plane'! Isn't it funny? The middle layer is up in the sky, looking down on all beings while the upper layer is below, looking up to the world above."

Li Ling's lips curved. "Why would the upper layer be underground?"

Pang Wen shrugged exaggeratedly. "I only heard rumors. Apparently, the closer you are to the core, the more obvious the laws of the world are. It's like the world's bones are down there. The big shots like to meditate where the world's rules are clearer."

He smirked. "Or maybe it's because it's harder for enemies to invade. Who knows? Old monsters love secrecy."

Li Ling's gaze lingered on the passageway, feeling the faint heaviness in the air.

"A place where laws are louder…" he mused.

Pang Wen puffed his cheeks. "Anyway, Brother Li, don't look at me like I know everything. I'm just a poor True Human shrimp trying to survive! I've never been to the upper layer because I'm too weak."

Li Ling's eyes slid toward him. "You're at Core Formation now."

Pang Wen's smile turned bitter for half a breath. "Brother Li, Core Formation in this sect is like being a slightly fatter ant. Useful, but still an ant."

Li Ling chuckled and patted Fatty Pang Wen's shoulders encouragingly. "Good job, Fatty! At least you know your place!"

Pang Wen's face twitched. "Brother Li, you really know how to comfort people!"

He then straightened and clasped his fists with exaggerated solemnity.

"Still… congratulations are in order. Fifth personal disciple, huh? 'Demon Emperor' Daoist title and all! You're really about to stand where the real monsters stand!" Pang Wen said, his tone turning oddly sincere beneath the usual banter.

Li Ling's eyes narrowed slightly, amused. "And?"

Pang Wen grinned again, the sincerity vanishing back into levity. "And I'm going to boast about it later. 'I escorted the Demon Emperor personally.' If you die, don't die too soon, okay? At least let me enjoy the fame first."

Li Ling stepped toward the portal gate, then paused.

"Not bad, Pang Wen. You did well," he said casually.

Pang Wen blinked, shocked by the simple statement. "Eh?"

Li Ling didn't elaborate. He just adjusted his sleeves and walked forward.

Pang Wen stared at his back for a second, then laughed loudly. "Heh! Brother Li is still Brother Li! One compliment from him and somehow it feels like I got promoted!"

Li Ling didn't turn back.

He lifted his token, the gate recognized it, and the restricted portal array began to hum.

Spatial ripples emerged as the air bent, and the world in front of him became a doorway into ethereal darkness.

Li Ling stepped through without hesitation, his smile widening slightly as he crossed the threshold.

The Upper Layer, huh?

Heh, let's see what the very heights of the sect look like!