Little Gray got what it wanted and turned to leave, no longer paying the Heaven-Slaughtering Dog any mind. It had always held a grudge against the dog! If Xu Yang hadn't asked, it wouldn't have helped the Heaven-Slaughtering Dog at all.
The Heaven-Slaughtering Dog entered the cave abode with a miserable look on its face. It had really drawn the short straw this time. After fighting tooth and nail, it had ended up letting Little Gray steal the limelight—and then Little Gray had even demanded a reward from it. It was so aggrieved.
Once the Heaven-Slaughtering Dog had entered the cave abode, the defensive Restriction outside activated again. Calm returned to the area, and only the wreckage all around showed that a great battle had taken place.
Not far from Xu Yang's cave abode, the air rippled, revealing two figures. One of them was none other than Star-Plucking Hand Sikong Li. Dressed in black, he wore a smile as he turned to his companion and asked, "What do you think, Fellow Daoist Jiang? Does Fellow Daoist Xu's strength meet with your approval?"
Sikong Li's companion was a young man named Jiang Ming, also a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment peak. He wore brocade robes and had fine features, with a particularly handsome face. His eyes flashed with brilliance from time to time. With a grave expression, he said, "Fellow Daoist Sikong was right. Fellow Daoist Xu is truly formidable. I'm afraid even the two of us together wouldn't be a match for him. He's certainly qualified to join our group. But what kind of person is he? I don't want to be killed and robbed."
"Rest assured, Fellow Daoist Jiang. Although I don't know Fellow Daoist Xu very well, I'm confident I can judge his character. If you don't believe