"Where is he?"
Inside the underground palace passageway, Pei Tianming and Shang Cai arrived near the secret chamber door Li Yun had emerged from almost simultaneously, less than a breath apart.
Yet all they saw was an empty underground palace passageway.
Neither man looked particularly pleased, but there was nothing they could do.
Several breaths later.
A burly middle-aged man in a yellow robe arrived with several experts in tow.
"Cult Leader!"
"He's gone. We didn't see Li Yun."
Pei Tianming hurried forward to report.
The middle-aged man was none other than Xue Wuwo, Cult Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Cult.
Xue Wuwo walked over to the secret chamber exit and glanced around twice, but he did not get angry.
"If Li Yun truly came, then with the strength of you two, dreaming of discovering him would be the height of folly."
"If Li Yun were so easy to find, why would no one have managed to uncover him after all this time?"
Xue Wuwo waved his hand, signaling Pei Tianming to step back.
His sharp gaze swept through the underground palace corridor a few times before he suddenly called out, "Daoist Li, I know you're watching here. Your concealment technique is indeed admirable, but since you've come, why not show yourself so we can meet?"
"If I'm not mistaken, you must have cultivated the Reverse Fate Art—and succeeded, at that?"
"You joined the Celestial Martial Sect as an Outer Sect Disciple with ordinary fifth-grade aptitude, yet later displayed extraordinary talent, your Martial Dao progressing by leaps and bounds. This must be the benefit of successfully cultivating the Reverse Fate Art and continuously improving your aptitude."
"By this point alone, there is a karmic bond between you and my Heavenly Mandate Cult."
"Come out and meet me. That can be