The old man stood where he was, watching Yi Chen's retreating figure disappear into the cave entrance, and muttered to himself, "Hmm? Strange. Why is his body gray? Could I really have made a mistake? No, his soul fluctuations couldn't possibly deceive me, so the only explanation is... Hmph, those fellows actually dared to scheme against me? Bastards!"
Yi Chen rushed into a wooden hut in a sorry state, hastily shut the door, and flopped into a chair, heaving sigh after sigh. "Damn it, those bastards actually want to capture me? Who the hell are they?" His brow furrowed, and his eyes narrowed. He had indeed never seen the old man's face before, but he had memorized his soul fluctuations. In this world, cultivators' soul fluctuations were extremely distinctive, so even if he only glimpsed them, Yi Chen could essentially determine their identities.
Yi Chen cursed under his breath. "Who did I provoke? Those bastards-I only just got here, for crying out loud! They're hunting me down over a name? Hmph, one day, I'll wipe them out."
Yi Chen muttered through gritted teeth, "I knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. And here we go, trouble's found me again. I'll never have a moment's peace in this life. No, I'm not someone people can threaten as they please. Whoever they are, I'll make them regret it..."
Yi Chen sat blankly in the chair, his mind entirely absorbed in thought. After a long while, his eyes darted wildly. He suddenly looked up toward the cave, shot out through the window, and raced straight toward it.
The old man sat cross-legged atop the dark cave, coldly watching Yi Chen run farther and farther away.
He slowly spread the five fingers of his right hand. A thin thread of electricity