With the arrival of the Earth Rank Experts on the surface, Hong Zhongkun grew noticeably more cautious.
But he considered himself a veteran who had roamed the martial world for over twenty years, entering countless forbidden grounds and secret chambers and rarely meeting his match. He had never feared ordinary Earth Rank cultivators.
Experts of equal cultivation could indeed detect him through various disturbances underground, but he had also mastered the art of freely switching between movement and stillness to conceal his tracks.
Simply put, he controlled the Earth Kun Dragon to burrow along with the vibrations produced by the other party's footsteps, matching them perfectly whether moving or still.
Moreover, underground, separated from the surface by a layer of soil, he lay in a blind spot in most people's awareness. Discovering him was not necessarily that easy.
Sure enough, Bali soon witnessed a scene that left him utterly astonished.
Inside the earthen cocoon, mere inches away, Hong Zhongkun narrowed his eyes. A measure of concentration and fervor actually appeared on his sleazy face.
The Spirit Creature on his body rose and fell faintly, like the vibrations of footsteps, perfectly matching the rhythm of someone walking overhead.
Bali sensed the Earth Kun Dragon stretching and contracting like a crawling earthworm, following along while keeping the vertical distance between them almost unchanged.
"They seem to have left the Market District..."
An unknown amount of time passed before the earthen wall beside Bali's ear vibrated, carrying Hong Zhongkun's voice once more.
Bali did not understand the Earth Escape method of using vibrations to imitate sound, so he could only signal with his eyes and mouth, "What's going on?"
"They seem to be changing shifts and meeting up with someone..."
Hong Zhongkun gazed upward, though there was no telling what he had discovered.