It's All Fate

Time flew by, and two more days passed.

It was now the fifteenth. On this day, as the sun and moon transitioned, Chen Luo skillfully used the Jade Slip to cultivate early in the morning. By now, he had accumulated nearly ten strands of unknown energy within his body. This energy lay dormant, unseen and intangible, and had yet to yield any benefits.

Finishing his cultivation, Chen Luo opened his eyes, then lightly leaped onto the highest rock, looking down at the valley.

"It should be tonight."

Standing at the highest point of the valley, Chen Luo finally pinpointed the mysterious mine pit. To hide the traces, Prefect Lou had hired people to fill the entrance with a massive stone, but now this stone could no longer suppress the strange phenomena. Especially after Chen Luo entered his special state, using the Royal Family Brain to 'see' the mine pit, he could perceive colorful mists seeping out.

However, these colors were only visible to those in a special state; to the naked eye, the valley remained just a valley, with no difference. The only change was a significant rise in temperature, causing some small flowers in the valley to bloom inexplicably.

"Great Hero, my nephew has recovered quite a bit. We plan to leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Old Man Tian caught a wild pheasant and personally brought it to Chen Luo.

Although Chen Luo hadn't accepted any gifts in the past few days, Old Man Tian felt that the gesture of giving was still necessary; it was a matter of attitude. If they hadn't happened to encounter Chen Luo this time, they would have surely perished in the mountains.

Leaving aside those high-flying martial arts experts, the wild beasts in the mountains alone would have been enough to kill them. The severely injured Tian Danu was a lure, the scent of blood he emitted a fatal danger. Fang Cun and Fang Shan definitely wouldn't have been able to protect him. Despite their large build, the brothers hadn't actually cultivated the Martial Path. In the caravan, they only did peripheral work, essentially relying on Tian Danu for a living. While their brute strength was effective against ordinary people, in front of the fierce beasts in the mountains, they were just extra seasoning.

"Leave today. Something might happen here tomorrow."

Chen Luo looked up into the distance.

Not long ago, he had heard the sound of clashing weapons again.

Although still some distance away, he could clearly sense the direction they were moving in.

They were heading towards the valley.

The Imperial Court had capable individuals; as soon as the strange phenomena appeared, they would certainly not be able to hide it from these people. He wasn't the only one in the world with a fortuitous encounter; being able to gain a two-day head start was already an advantage.

"Something might happen?"

Old Man Tian's face changed.

Seeing that Chen Luo had no intention of saying more, he quickly put down the items and went down the mountain to discuss with his nephew, Tian Danu.

The change came even faster than Chen Luo had anticipated.

Just as dusk fell, before the sky had completely darkened, the sound of fighting reached the valley entrance.

Old Man Tian and Tian Danu had heeded his advice and had already left the valley. However, looking at the situation, they would likely collide with the people outside. Whether they could escape depended on their luck.

He just hoped they wouldn't be so unlucky.

After concealing his aura, Chen Luo lightly leaped, stepping on branches to land in a hidden mountain hollow, and looked down through the gap.

Two figures were chasing each other below. One of them was the Blade-Wielding Strongman Chen Luo was familiar with. Only this time, the Strongman was fleeing, with a Withered Daoist chasing him from behind. Both were moving very fast, reaching the valley entrance in the blink of an eye.

Perhaps sensing that he couldn't escape, a fierce look flashed across the Blade-Wielding Strongman's face, and he stomped his foot on the ground.

Sand and gravel flew, creating a deep pit.

Using this momentum, the Strongman suddenly turned around, his Golden Silk Great Ring Saber sweeping horizontally, slashing towards the old daoist behind him.

Saber energy soared into the sky, startling countless birds.

But the old daoist behind him seemed to have anticipated this. The moment the Strongman turned, he stopped in his tracks. Not only that, but his body drifted strangely like a leaf, avoiding the fatal saber strike in an unbelievable manner. At the same time, he extended his index finger and flicked the blade of the saber.

Clang!!

With a crisp sound, two surges of momentum exploded instantly, sending large amounts of leaves scattering. Both individuals were forced back several steps by the collision.

Grandmaster!

Another Grandmaster.

Chen Luo was startled. After cultivating for the past few days, his observational skills had become increasingly sharp. With just one glance, he could see that the power used in the exchange between the two was indeed Grandmaster Power.

What a strong daoist, what an eerie movement technique.

His gaze swept past the Strongman, and Chen Luo focused his attention on the old daoist.

He had personally witnessed the Strongman's strength a few days ago; he was definitely a powerful figure among Grandmasters. Yet, he was completely helpless against this old daoist, beaten without any ability to retaliate.

This withered old daoist, at first glance, seemed no different from an ordinary person, without any special qualities. But when he moved, he was exceptionally sharp, his moves sometimes fast, sometimes slow. But each move precisely targeted the Strongman's weak points, causing him to repeatedly vomit blood.

"Old Daoist Lichen, you are forcing me!"

After being repelled in another collision, the Blade-Wielding Strongman's eyes turned crimson.

"You can also give up resisting."

Old Daoist Lichen also stopped. He said calmly. His clothes weren't even disheveled, indicating that he hadn't used his full strength to suppress the Blade-Wielding Strongman just now.

"That's how this world is. Many things are determined from birth. This is fate."

"Fate my ass! Die for me!!"

The Blade-Wielding Strongman finished accumulating power, soaring into the air. A surge of bloody energy erupted from the great saber in his hand. His momentum rose from the sky, instantly condensing into a giant blood saber, which he swung towards Old Daoist Lichen in a stance of Might Cleave Mount Hua.

"You still don't understand."

Old Daoist Lichen watched the incoming saber strike. This time, he didn't even bother to dodge.

Clang

Just as the saber strike was about to land, the Blade-Wielding Strongman's body suddenly couldn't hold on, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. The immense saber force instantly dissipated into wind, and he fell from the air, completely losing the ability to resist.

"You poisoned me?!"

"This isn't poison, it's a Technique."

Old Daoist Lichen walked over and picked up the Great Saber that had fallen to the ground. Then he raised his head and glanced sideways at the spot where Chen Luo was hiding.

"Everything is fate."

Was I discovered?

Chen Luo, hidden in the shadows, was startled and instinctively dodged to the left. The next moment, he felt a numbness in his right arm. A diamond-shaped dart had somehow shot through his arm. The dart itself was embedded in a rock, and blood dripped down its diamond structure.

"A Hidden Weapon!!"

Chen Luo looked back and, without even thinking, rolled on the ground, dodging to the side.

This was the result of having cultivated for a few days and improving his perception. If it had been before, he would probably be a corpse by now.

The gap between the early Bone Forging Realm and a Grandmaster was simply too vast.

Not to mention Old Daoist Lichen, who was a top-tier expert among Grandmasters.

Below, Old Daoist Lichen had already used the strongman's Great Saber to chop off his head, splattering blood everywhere. A dignified Grandmaster expert had died in this nameless small valley, just like the Jianghu Wanderer Chen Laosan had buried back then.

His life unknown, his origin unknown.

"This is your fate, why are you dodging?"

Old Daoist Lichen, who had just killed someone, raised his head and said indifferently, looking at the fleeing Chen Luo.

This old daoist looked like he was filled with compassion for the heavens and humanity, but when it came to killing, he didn't show any mercy at all.