"My friend was ambushed and severely injured by you for no reason, compensate with ten high-grade Dao Veins."

Ding Huan decided that causing less trouble was better, moreover, he didn't even know Shi Changxing.

Ducheng also had an unspoken rule, which was a strong hostility towards outsider cultivators.

This young man was just an outsider cultivator, yet he dared to ask him for compensation?

"Hehe..." The bearded man chuckled, too lazy to pay attention to Ding Huan, and turned to leave.

Seeing the other party turn and leave, Ding Huan wasn't too bothered.

From the moment he noticed the bearded man sneak-attacking Shi Changxing to when he came out to stop it, no one appeared to enforce any rules.

This indicated that the rules here were likely just unspoken rules, and since they were unspoken, he saw no need to be courteous.

There's a saying: if a person isn't ruthless, they can't stand firm.

To stand firm in a new place, one must be a bit ruthless.

Ding Huan summoned the Breaking Tribulation Blade and, without hesitation, slashed it out.

His domain had already locked onto the bearded man, and at this moment, the Breaking Tribulation Blade was summoned once again.

The bearded man only felt an icy chill through his body, and when the aura of death enveloped him, he could hardly believe it.

"You..." The bearded man turned around in terror, but Ding Huan's Breaking Tribulation Blade had already cleaved his skull apart.

Before his Primordial Spirit could escape, Ding Huan began to strip away his Tao World.

The observing cultivators were all dumbfounded.

It was obvious that Ding Huan was new here, yet a newcomer could be so brazen?

And Ding Huan had just killed a True Saint with one strike, clearly indicating the power of a Seventh Step Master of the Universe.

At this moment, Ding Huan had already torn apart the universe world of the bearded man, taking everything within.

A flame then followed, burning the bearded man's Primordial Spirit to ash.

The process was extremely short, and the bearded man was still in a state of disbelief.

The onlookers watched Ding Huan's skilled technique, all remaining silent.

One could only say that Tualin Shizong met a ruthless man, and instead of gaining wealth, he lost his life.

Whether someone would intervene regarding this matter of casually killing a True Saint on the Battle Square was a later concern.

In the eyes of most people, for Ding Huan to kill a Sixth Step True Saint with one strike and effortlessly strip away the Tao World, he was definitely no ordinary Seventh Step individual.

Even after Ding Huan took the belongings of the True Saint, no one approached him.

His Divine Will checked the Fighting Platform; the Master of the Universe who defeated Shi Changxing had already stepped down, and no one had touched Shi Changxing's Planet Treasure.

Ding Huan sighed inwardly; people indeed had to be a bit ruthless.

If he hadn't publicly killed the True Saint who ambushed Shi Changxing, Shi Changxing's planet would likely have been taken by now.

That was a Heavenly Creation Treasure-grade item; who wouldn't want it?

Ding Huan extended his hand, grabbing the spear stuck in Shi Changxing's body.

Shi Changxing spat a mouthful of blood and shakily stood up, saying, "Shi Changxing thanks you, fellow Daoist, for your rescue."

Even though he was impaled and unable to move, he was aware of Ding Huan's actions.

If it weren't for Ding Huan, Shi Changxing might not even have a bone fragment left.

"Go collect your Magical Treasure, and let's go." Ding Huan had many things he wanted to discuss with Shi Changxing.

Besides, he didn't wish to stay at this square any longer.

Unspoken rules were still rules.

If there were unspoken rules, it meant someone had once set these rules.

Thus, he needed to quickly leave this square to understand Shi Changxing's situation clearly before making further plans.

If nothing worked out, then leaving this place wouldn't be a problem.

"Alright." Shi Changxing went over and raised his hand to retract his Seven Cosmos Sky Star.

Even though his Seven Cosmos Sky Star was merely a Heaven Creation Treasure, in his eyes, it was more precious than others' Chaos Treasures.

"We should discuss after leaving Ducheng." Shi Changxing's voice was slightly hoarse.

Ding Huan could tell that Shi Changxing's injuries were severe, likely not only from this recent incident.

"Do you have a cave mansion here?" Ding Huan was somewhat puzzled.

Shi Changxing must have been in Ducheng for more than a day or two, right? Shouldn't he have invited him to his cave mansion?

"I do have a cave mansion in Ducheng, but it's best if we talk outside." Shi Changxing's tone was somewhat uneasy.

Ding Huan's heart sank, sensing it might have been due to him killing the True Saint.

Because he had taken down a Sixth Step True Saint here, Shi Changxing wanted him to leave quickly.

"Then let's go." Ding Huan nodded, even though he had just arrived, leaving wasn't a big deal.

He had plenty of cultivation resources, and since he had no requirements for Heaven and Earth Rules, staying in Ducheng for cultivation wasn't necessary.

The terrifying existence in the World of Gods hadn't claimed his life, so such a terrifying existence shouldn't be here, right?

As Ding Huan led Shi Changxing out of Ducheng, no one stopped them.

After leaving Ducheng, Shi Changxing prepared to exit the barrier, but Ding Huan stopped him: "With your injuries, leaving this barrier now might worsen them.

Why not negotiate here? If things can be settled here, we won't have to return."

The situation inside Tao City is still unclear to Ding Huan. After all, the city is full of restrictions, and it's impossible for his Divine Will to penetrate all of them.

Now outside the city, he had already observed the barrier outside. Even if it's sealed, he could easily tear it apart.

"You killed Duo Lin Shicong, this matter is unlikely to rest. Although most of the Seventh Step Dao Yans from Ducheng have left, there are still at least three to four Seventh Step Dao Yans inside.

If we continue to stay here, as soon as they activate the barrier to trap us, we will never have another chance to leave," Shi Changxing said worriedly.

Ding Huan looked at Shi Changxing in surprise, "Mr. Shi, you mean there are only three to four Seventh Steps in Ducheng? No Eighth Step experts? I'm talking about the Eighth Step of Dao Yan, not your level."

Shi Changxing blushed. He was clearly at the Ninth Step of the Great Dao, how could he not count?

He still responded, "Brother Mo and Brother Lan have mentioned that proving the Eighth Step of Dao Yan here is almost impossible."

"But Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu?" Ding Huan immediately asked.

"Yes, them," Shi Changxing nodded naturally.

He didn't find it surprising that Ding Huan knew Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji.

Though Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji fled to the Fog Realm, they had made a significant impact here back then; who didn't know them?

"Do you all know the secrets of the Eighth Step of Dao Yan?"

Shi Changxing laughed self-deprecatingly, "How could I know? But Brother Mo and Brother Lan certainly do."

"Do you know where they went?"

Shi Changxing shook his head without hesitation, "I don't know."

It was the first time he met Ding Huan, and even though Ding Huan saved him, it wasn't a reason to betray his friends.

Moreover, he still didn't understand why Ding Huan saved him.

"What does the Fighting Platform mean?"

"You should know the situation in the Fog Realm. Here, it possesses the supreme Heaven and Earth Rules capable of reaching the pinnacle of the Great Dao, yet seeking the Dao is extremely difficult.

The vast majority cannot cultivate in the mundane areas of the Fog Realm; only the Heaven and Earth Rules in Ducheng can accommodate ordinary cultivation, which makes it perpetually crowded here.

The powerhouses in Ducheng do not wish for ordinary people to fight here, so they set up the Fighting Platform.

As long as one steps onto the Fighting Platform, they are responsible for their own life or death. There's also an unspoken rule here: anyone can seize the defeated and profit.

Although this rule is merely implicit, due to the abundance of Seventh Step experts here, everyone follows it. Over the years, no one has dared to break it.

Maybe someone did break it, but such individuals generally don't live long," Shi Changxing sighed after speaking.

Back in the day, Shi Changxing stood atop the Great Universe. Who wouldn't call him Dao Venerable Changxing upon meeting him?

Yet, outside the Great Universe, he gradually lost his edge and lived in such frets.

"In that case, let's enter Ducheng and talk in your cave mansion," Ding Huan intended to ask Shi Changxing many things.

Moreover, he wanted to inquire about Mo Wuji and Lan Xiaobu's whereabouts.

That entity among the Chaos was perhaps too daunting for him to handle alone.

The reason Shi Changxing hadn't mentioned anything might not be that he didn't know, but that he feared Ding Huan harbored ill intentions for Lan Xiaobu and Mo Wuji.

"Ah…"

Shi Changxing looked at Ding Huan in confusion.

Including the Dao Yan Seventh Step he injured, there were at least four Dao Yan Seventh Steps inside Ducheng.

Entering Ducheng at this moment, if anyone blocks them in, it would be like catching turtles in a jar.

Ding Huan smiled, "Do you think those few Dao Yan Seventh Steps would wait until now if they wanted to attack us?"

Ding Huan stayed outside Ducheng on purpose, watching those powerhouses' reactions.

If they really intended to strike, neither he nor Shi Changxing could have left the city, let alone linger here for so long.

Shi Changxing understood Ding Huan's intention.

Though he understood, entering Ducheng still seemed risky.

In front of him, this young man is no more than a Seventh Step of the Great Dao, while Ducheng harbors at least four Seventh Steps.

As for himself, he was far from recovering his strength.

But thinking of his daughter, he gritted his teeth, "Alright then, let's go in."

"As long as those Seventh Step Daoist Saints haven't returned to Ducheng, we're safe," Ding Huan waved his hand, signaling Shi Changxing not to worry.

Four Seventh Steps couldn't possibly trap him and Shi Changxing together.

Back then, when he, Ji Sixin, and Di He faced six Masters of the Universe, didn't they come out unscathed?

As for Shi Changxing's injury, he had already seen it; it was just the erosion of the Daoist Rhythm.

This kind of injury, if not stripped away, would tangle a lifetime and ultimately lead to death due to Daoist Rhythm corruption.

He himself had been eroded by the Killing Dao Rhythm for ten thousand years.

When he comprehended its mystery, he simply erased it with a swipe.

The Daoist Rhythm corroding Shi Changxing was of far inferior caliber compared to that which corroded him back then.

Thus, saving Shi Changxing was merely a matter of a breath's time.

"Tell me, why did you fight with that Seventh Step Master of the Universe?"

"Him? Master of the Universe? Haha," Shi Changxing snorted disdainfully.

(Good night, fellow Daoist!)