The tall, thin old man whose expression had suddenly turned peculiar was none other than Xiao Yu.
Two years had passed since he left Phoenix Spirit Island.
Two years earlier, he had flown south without stopping, crossing numerous countries, passing through the former Mulan Grasslands, and entering the Sky Lan Grassland.
Though the grassland was vast, finding this place was not difficult. After grabbing a few cultivators of the Tuoba People and subjecting them to interrogation and Soul Search, he learned where their headquarters lay.
Afterward, Xiao Yu disguised himself as a member of a small tribe and came to the Southern Sky Lan Temple.
After living and cultivating here for nearly a year, he subdued a Core Formation Stage Tuoba cultivator of considerable standing and prestige-the very tall, thin old man he was now impersonating.
Xiao Yu took the man somewhere far from the temple. Through threats and inducements, he learned all the details of the man's life, then laid down several powerful restrictions and imprisoned him.
During the interrogation, Xiao Yu did not perform a Soul Search on him. The man had a Soul Lamp in the Sky Lan Holy Temple, and if his soul were searched, others would certainly discover that something had happened to him. That would hinder Xiao Yu's subsequent plans.
Once these preparations were complete, Xiao Yu used the Shape-Changing Art to assume the tall, thin old man's appearance and returned to the Tuoba People's headquarters.
For some time afterward, he operated under the man's identity. Along the way, he obtained a place among those permitted to enter the Forbidden Grounds and witness the summoning of the sacred beast, allowing him to appear here without arousing suspicion.
The main reason Xiao Yu went to such lengths to impersonate someone and enter these Forbidden Grounds,