Inside a dim room.
Yuan Zhen kept his eyes tightly shut, rolling Buddhist beads through his fingers and murmuring under his breath.
Shadows shrouded his peaceful face, making it look somewhat sinister.
At a certain moment, the beads stopped turning. He slowly opened his eyes, and the candle flame instantly went out, plunging the room into complete darkness.
A hoarse voice sounded. "What was the background of that man who came during the day?"
"An ordinary local cultivator of the Chu Kingdom. Only at Qi Refining, so there's no need to concern ourselves with him." Yuan Zhen's voice was indifferent, devoid of his daytime gentleness.
"But he seems to be traveling with Wang Ke."
"By their reckoning, you're only at Qi Refining now, too," the hoarse voice reminded him. "Do you need help?"
Yuan Zhen shook his head.
"The most important thing this time is still the Divine Ability Sarira on Wu Huaguo. To capture the Wu Clan's head alive in Beiya Mountain City, where there are Foundation Establishment cultivators, you'll have to act."
"The Go Dao Tournament's participants are all ordinary Qi Refining cultivators apart from you, and Wang Ke is now a mere mortal. When the time comes, I only need to kill Wang Ke instantly, then meet up with you."
The voice in the shadows fell silent, seemingly acquiescing.
"Misfortune is where fortune leans; fortune is where misfortune lurks." In the darkness, Yuan Zhen revealed a strange smile.
"Though the head monk crippled all my cultivation, the sacred art is wondrous. This demonic body of yours was scarcely affected. After drifting here, we even found a lead on a Divine Ability Sarira."
"And that Ghost Valley disciple has had his cultivation sealed and delivered himself to our doorstep."
"This borderland of Chu... truly is a treasure land."