"Who's there!" Nalan Yanran tensed, her sharp gaze sweeping her surroundings.
The Misty Cloud Sect was fairly tightly guarded, yet someone had managed to sneak inside.
"Heh heh, no need to look. I'm right beneath your backside." An aged voice rang out beneath Nalan Yanran, making her spring up like a startled kitten. She landed on the ground and warily eyed the large rock before her.
A moment later, an aged face surfaced on the rock.
It was the face of an old crone, covered in strange runes and deep wrinkles. One glance was enough to tell that this was no decent person.
"Little girl, you look troubled." The old crone's face bore an eerie smile as he gazed at Nalan Yanran.
"You seem to have encountered someone your own age whom you can never surpass, and he seems to have quite a connection with you. That troubles you, even makes you feel wronged. Am I right?"
A faint smile appeared on the old crone's face.
"What does that have to do with you?" Nalan Yanran continued to regard him coldly.
"What does it have to do with me? If you can get me out of here, I can teach you everything I learned in my lifetime. Then you'll have a chance to surpass that young man you mentioned," he said with a smile.
"Quite a boast. But how could you help me? My opponent is a prodigy so powerful that he leaves people in despair."
Nalan Yanran still shook her head. With ample resources at her disposal, she was unmoved by such a temptation.
"Heh heh, how powerful could a genius from this remote backwater possibly be? Without guidance from a true master and resources to nurture you, Dou Zong will be your limit, no matter how talented you