When Li Hao’s gaze fell on the lake surface, the wind-swept expanse transformed in his eyes into a vast chessboard.
Beneath the deep waters of the lake, demons moved like chess pieces wandering within those squares, autonomously shifting their formation.
“Chess…”
Having previously played against His Highness, Li Hao gained a deeper understanding of Chess Tao and now seemed to have advanced further, touching another State of Mind.
…
…
Several days later.
Outside Heavenly Gate Pass, a snowy white figure streaked towards the city.
Surrounded by flowing Dao light, his form was indistinct, flitting through the void unseen.
As he approached the city, he stopped, looking at the flag-waving fortress. The two-character banner ignited a killing intent in his tranquil eyes.
It was this devilish young upstart who had repeatedly thwarted his schemes, now leaving him in an extremely awkward situation, at risk of being exposed and contested at any moment.
“To kill Buddha Lord, even with the power of Dao Law Realm, one must die!”
The newcomer was the Saint Heir. His eyes were cold. Although he too was of the Dao Law Realm, having studied under a Saint since his youth, he possessed Divine Skills which were far beyond those in this realm, transcendent abilities that enclosed the ultimate principles of the Dao.
His Divine Thought surveyed the city, quickly spotting a fenced small courtyard within.
In the courtyard’s open area, a youth was peeling fish while a red-bearded vine demon prepared the firewood.
Another girl was practicing swordplay, and a disheveled individual was instructing her, occasionally growing agitated and stepping in to correct her.
Such an odd scene momentarily startled him, making him wonder if he was mistaken.
However, judging by the layout within the city, this courtyard was clearly at the city’s center, heavily guarded. Each person in the courtyard had cultivation levels, the vine demon building the firewood especially was a Demon King of the Four Stands Realm.
The only inscrutable one was the youth whose energy eluded him.
Undoubtedly, he was the target of this mission.
Just as he was about to strike, his gaze shifted momentarily towards a tea house not far from the courtyard.
At the window of the tea house, an old and a young figure were also looking his way.
The Saint Heir’s expression shifted slightly. Were there other masters present?
In the next moment, the elderly figure abruptly vanished from his spot.
Following several rapid flashes, the tea vendor emerged in the high sky just outside the city, both figures standing not far above the city walls, yet the guards on the city seemed oblivious to them.
“Saint bloodline…”
The tea vendor looked at the Saint Heir, his eyebrows slightly raised, a hint of malice surfacing in his eyes.
However, upon seeing the aura the other revealed during his instantaneous movement, the Saint Heir’s pupils shrank dramatically, exclaiming in horror,
“Demon Race?!”
The tea vendor, hearing his identification, curled his lips in a sneer and mocked,
“Did you come here for us, or for that youth?”
The Saint Heir gazed at him in shock, unable to believe that the Demon Race would emerge in this world, particularly here.
Quickly, he recalled legends about the Demon Race, which were said to be able to summon disasters. Whenever there was turmoil, the Demon Race would appear, bringing further carnage and calamity.
Moreover, their methods were brutal, capable of suppressing Incense Fire, a different, vicious Cultivation Method.
“Hmm?”
The tea vendor observed him casually, but his eyes slowly narrowed into a dangerous glare.
Feeling the faint aura emanating from the figure across from him, the Saint Heir grew both alarmed and enraged. The Demon Race, too, was of the Dao Law Realm?
How could this tiny Dayu have attracted the attention of the Demon Race!
Furious, he had thought dealing with a troublesome young upstart was challenging enough, and now a Demon Race had appeared, completely derailing his plans.
“So, you’re in collusion… very well!”
The Saint Heir clenched his teeth and, without lingering, promptly turned and withdrew.
But the old man at the tea stall wouldn’t let Li Hao leave so easily, and suddenly began to chase after him, both of them speeding away over a thousand miles.
“How dare you!”
The Saint Heir was suddenly furious, wanting to leave yet someone dared to hold him back?
With a loud bang, the two exchanged blows palm-to-palm, their fearsome Dao Power reverberating, sharp cries undetectable by ordinary people resonating through the air.
“You’re ruthless, I’ll remember this!”
The Saint Heir struck out with a palm, opting not to engage in a prolonged battle, and sped away using the force from his strike.
Apart from the old man, there was also a young girl and a young man present. He didn’t want to make too much noise and attract their attention.
The old man at the tea stall glanced briefly, didn’t pursue further, raised an eyebrow, snickered, and watched attentively for a moment until the other disappeared without a trace before turning back.
Upon returning to Cangya City, the old man at the tea stall went back to the tea house and briefly informed his young mistress about the situation.
“No wonder those demons were so bold; it seems they were drawn here by the Incense Fire detected by the Saint Clans…”
Ying Xiaoxiao slightly raised her eyes, somewhat surprised, yet not too surprised.
It was quite normal for the Saint Clans to covet this place’s Incense Fire for their cultivation.
“However, it’s none of our business. If they provoke us, we’ll just kill them. After all, the grudges of our ancestors haven’t been settled yet…”
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Ying Xiaoxiao’s voice was slightly cold.
The old man at the tea stall nodded subtly, picked up his tea and took a sip, feeling a slight burning sensation in his palm.
That youth from the Saint Clans seemed to have something about him…
While the two were eating and drinking, a young man’s voice reached their ears.
“Would you two like to come over and sit?”
Ying Xiaoxiao and the tea stall old man looked at each other, recognizing it as the voice of that young man.
The movement from the old man’s earlier intervention had obviously been detected by the young man.
“Miss,” the tea stall old man said, looking at Ying Xiaoxiao.
Though they were unafraid of the young man, their clan preferred to walk the world without getting involved in disputes.
“It’s all right.”
Ying Xiaoxiao waved her hand slightly, the golden bells on her wrist jingling pleasantly, attracting sneaky glances from the table beside them—what a beautiful girl…
But then, those sneakily peeking eyes suddenly bulged out, as they saw the old and the young at the tea drinking table disappear right under their eyelids.
They’ve gone mad!
In front of a small courtyard, the old man and his young companion appeared.
The guards at the door didn’t stop them, and the two entered the courtyard.
“How fragrant.”
Noticing the fish roasting over the firewood, Ying Xiaoxiao’s nose twitched slightly, her eyes lighting up.
Li Hao, seeing this old and young pair, immediately remembered they were the two from the official road.
He had always felt like he was being followed, but couldn’t detect it until just now when he sensed the disturbances from the small tea house, realizing his hunch was right—that indeed, he was being followed.
“Senior, aren’t you selling buns anymore?”
Li Hao looked at the tea stall old man with a mix of a smile.
Hearing Li Hao’s words, the old man’s face turned slightly red, and he coughed lightly:
“Made enough money, taking my granddaughter out for some fun.”
Li Hao smiled, not wanting to probe deeply, and simply said, “You two have been following me for quite some time now; what brings you here?”
Ying Xiaoxiao’s gaze shifted from the roasting fish back to Li Hao, her eyes bright and clear, and she smiled gently:
“Nothing much, just felt like interesting things happen around you, so I followed.”
What kind of reason was that? Li Hao raised his eyebrows, but seeing her pure and bright eyes, completely straightforward, he felt she might not be lying, otherwise, the reason was too far-fetched.
“What interesting things have you seen then?”
Li Hao asked.