Mao Yousan's ritual artifact belonged to Six Yin Mountain, with only minor differences in its details.
Luo Bin had noticed that long ago. Too much had been happening around him, however, for him to stop and analyze it.
Six Yin Mountain had hunted him down and knew what he looked like.
Had Zhou Sanming's affair not interrupted them, that pursuit would surely have continued.
Mao Yousan bore him no hostility whatsoever. That could only mean Mao Yousan stood apart from the others at Six Yin Mountain.
Yet now, Mao Yousan had outright denied any connection to Six Yin Mountain. He did not even seem to know it existed.
How was that possible?
Masters of Mao Yousan's caliber were rare anywhere in the world.
Even among the Talisman Arts, Heaven Origin, and Earth Aspect, he would have ranked as a Consecrated Elder.
Only the Heaven-and-Earth Veil...
His train of thought stopped short. Was the Heaven-and-Earth Veil really the only force capable of nurturing someone of this caliber?
What about Luo Xianshen, then?
Had he been mistaken?
Had the Tomb Guardian been mistaken too?
At that moment, the Tomb Guardian's gaze visibly changed as he studied Mao Yousan more intently.
"Seen enough?"
"Figured it out yet?"
Mao Yousan continued meeting the Tomb Guardian's eyes. "Is an ulterior motive all you people ever see? A motive, a motive, a motive? Am I not allowed to find a promising youngster and want to nurture him?"
The Tomb Guardian still said nothing. He maintained that gaze, though a trace of puzzlement gradually surfaced in his eyes.
He had found no sign of a liar's physiognomy in Mao Yousan's tone, expression, or features.
They had never fought, so their strength was difficult to compare.
As for their realms, Mao Yousan's was high, but his own was