Chapter Forty: Undercurrents Surging, Where Can One Hide Beneath Divine Sense? (Part Two)

Outside the cave, deep within the mountain forests, the air was calm and the sky clear, the thick mist that had previously permeated the woods having dissipated entirely.

Yi Beidou, Fang Xiuyuan, and Tao Zihong gathered together among the trees.

"Although the Great Dragon has been slain and the leylines have calmed, I still need to make some arrangements here on this 'Reverse Scale' to consolidate the earth’s energy for future development," Fang Xiuyuan said.

Though the Great Dragon was gone, the subsequent processes were far from simple. He would not be leaving Mount Yunlao for some time.

"I will remain with my disciples to lend a hand and collect some data while I'm at it," Tao Zihong added. He did not intend to leave immediately either; such an opportunity was rare, and he wanted to take advantage of it to strengthen his research into dragon vein energies.

"In that case, I shall take my leave," Yi Beidou said with a nod.

"If you are interested, I would love to invite you to visit my research institute afterward," Tao Zihong offered.

"Certainly. Gentlemen, farewell." Yi Beidou nodded, turned, and strode away in the direction from which he had come. His figure was ethereal, like an immortal wandering through the woods, and he vanished from sight in moments.

"What do you make of him?" Tao Zihong asked in a low voice, watching the direction in which Yi Beidou had disappeared.

"Indescribable, immeasurable—much like the Great Dao itself," Fang Xiuyuan remarked with a sigh.

"You hold him in such high regard?" Tao Zihong asked, surprised. For beings of their stature, comparing a person to the Great Dao was the highest possible praise, for the Dao was all they sought.

"He was born a demon, yet possesses the mind of a god. He is a miracle of the world, a natural vessel of the Dharma, with strength that defies the heavens. Moreover, his ambition is vast, seeking to encompass all under heaven. Did you not see the technique he used earlier? 'Heavenly Demon Extinguishing the Dharma'—only the true Dharma can survive such a strike. He intends to use himself as the yardstick to measure the Daoist arts of the world. Who beneath the heavens is qualified to measure the true Dharma? Only the Great Dao itself."

"A Heavenly Demon descending to the world," Tao Zihong mused, his expression unreadable. "His intent is too fierce. As they say, the higher the supernatural power, the deeper the demonic obsession. The path ahead is fraught with calamities and countless enemies. Given his nature, there may come a day when he stands against the world. Whether he is demon or Buddha, it lies only in a single thought."

"In any previous era, he would have been qualified to stand at the pinnacle, but in this age, it is hard to say. How many geniuses of the past and present, how many hidden immortals within the mortal dust, will emerge in this era?" Fang Xiuyuan said.

"Asking the vast earth, who determines its destiny..." Tao Zihong felt a surge of emotion.

"Since the young are so exceptional, we cannot lag behind. Once matters here are concluded, I have decided to enter the Kunlun Mountains."

Fang Xiuyuan’s eyes flashed with fierce ambition.

"You intend to slay the Ancestral Dragon?" Tao Zihong looked at him with astonishment.

"Is the Ancestral Dragon so easily slain? It is the root of the Nine Provinces' dragon veins; no one has been able to touch it since ancient times. My intention is to venture deep into the forbidden lands of Kunlun, to seek the dragon's pulse, and see if I can find clues to the legendary 'Severing of Heaven and Earth'!" Fang Xiuyuan said solemnly.

***

Outside Mount Yunlao, at the hikers' base camp.

"How did the weather change so drastically in the mountains? It’s completely different from the forecast! It’s lucky we didn't go too deep, or the consequences would have been unthinkable." A group of hikers who had planned to trek through Mount Yunlao retreated to the camp, drenched and looking disheveled.

The slaying of the dragon vein by the three Immortals of the Mortal Dust had triggered a sudden shift in the mountain weather. In such a tempest, even fully equipped hikers risked death from hypothermia. Before the majesty of nature, human life seemed so fragile.

*Swish!*

Before long, two more figures emerged from the woods: Meng Qianyuan and Zhou Baiwei. They too looked ruffled by the sudden storm. Zhou Baiwei’s long hair was plastered to her back, and her clothes were stained with mud and leaves. Meng Qianyuan, his vital energy sealed, looked even more wretched.

Seeing them, the hikers remembered the group that had gone in earlier. At least these two had some light gear, but the young man who had entered before them was wearing only casual sportswear. In such a storm, his wet clothes would have been like a refrigerator; survival seemed impossible.

"You two should call the police or a rescue team immediately. Otherwise, your friend likely won't make it out alive," a hiker kindly advised.

"Thank you for your concern," Zhou Baiwei said with a polite smile, "but in this Mount Yunlao, there is likely nothing that can threaten our friend."

*These people are truly insane,* the hikers thought, shaking their heads. They stopped trying to persuade them; life and death were matters of fate.

However, not long after, they heard footsteps approaching. Turning, they saw the young man in casual sportswear walking out of the woods. His clothes showed no signs of the downpour; had it not been for the slight mud on his shoes, no one would have believed he had been in the mountains at all.

An immortal walking the mortal world, his feet barely brushing the dust.

"Mr. Yi, is everything settled?" Meng Qianyuan and Zhou Baiwei hurried over to ask.

"Yes, it is done. The Great Dragon of Mount Yunlao has been slain. We shall return to Spring City and head back to Wen City in due time."

Yi Beidou nodded and led Meng and Zhou on the return journey, leaving the hikers at the camp staring at their departing backs, speechless.

***

As evening fell and night veiled the sky, the three arrived at the edge of Spring City. Suddenly, Yi Beidou felt something and turned to look toward a certain part of the city.

"Vague and hazy, like clouds obscuring the moon, like a beauty hiding behind a pipa. Interesting, very interesting," Yi Beidou whispered to himself.

"Sir? What are you talking about? The weather?" Meng Qianyuan asked, glancing in the direction Yi Beidou was looking. It was just a normal city night scene.

"Sir, you aren't looking at some beautiful woman, are you?" Zhou Baiwei teased, noticing some girls outside a mall nearby, dressed in sheer, hazy clothing, laughing and shivering in the night air.

"Stop the car," Yi Beidou said.

*Screech!* Zhou Baiwei pulled over immediately.

"You two go back to the hotel. I have felt something, and I wish to take a walk through this city." Yi Beidou stepped out of the car, his figure moving with a speed that seemed slow yet was incredibly fast, vanishing into the crowd and buildings.

"Sir!" Zhou Baiwei’s mouth fell open, but he was already gone. "He’s left us behind again. What do we do?" She slapped the steering wheel in frustration and looked at Meng Qianyuan in the passenger seat.

"If the master wants to do something, can you or I stop him? Who in this Spring City could stop him? Don't worry about it. Let's go back; I'm hungry." Meng Qianyuan shrugged nonchalantly.

***

At the Yunding Hotel.

"It’s quite lively here today," Shen Song said, pulling back the curtains to look at the plaza in front of the hotel lobby. Luxury cars were coming and going, and men and women in evening wear were stepping out, exuding an air of elegance.

"I heard it’s the coming-of-age ceremony for the little princess of the Yunding Group’s Yang family. It’s being held in the second-floor banquet hall. Many celebrities from Yunhai have arrived. How about it? Since we don't have news of our target yet, why don't we go and have some fun? I’ve long heard of the Yang family of Yunhai," the cynical young man said with a grin.