After the two made their decision, they were about to rise and fly, but before they could summon their tunneling light, they felt as though their feet were weighted with lead. Looking down in shock, they realized that at so point, they had been surrounded by thick yellow mist, rendering them unable to take a single step forward.
Suddenly, a loud laugh echoed from ahead. The yellow mist surged like crashing waves, rapidly converging into a dense mass. In an instant, a colossal ocher hand, spanning ten zhang, erged from below. The two n finally understood—they had been standing in the palm of the Xuanhuang Dragon Capturing Hand all along. This realization petrified them with fear, leaving their souls nearly scattered.
The Xuanhuang Great Hand spread its fingers wide and flipped its palm over, sweeping down at them like a tidal wave. In the blink of an eye, the two were engulfed completely, leaving behind only two quick and muffled screams. Above the clouds, silence reigned.
Zhang Yan stood in the void, giving his shoulder a shake to retract the Xuanhuang Great Hand. The two tattered bodies dropped lifelessly to the ground below.
Yet his face still bore a vigilant expression. He first scanned his surroundings with sharp eyes, then rose on a gust of wind to circle the nearby forest. After completing a thorough examination, he confird that no cultivator had passed through recently. Feeling assured, he returned to his original spot.
Though Zhang Yan was bold and decisive in his actions, he was never lacking in ticulous caution.
The battle with Bao Dingheng and his companions had lasted neither too long nor too short, but it remained uncertain whether other cultivators might have coincidentally been in the vicinity during the confrontation.
For this reason, Zhang Yan decisively refrained from using his sword, relying solely on the Xuanhuang Dragon Capturing Hand and the techniques of the Power Dao Practitioners to deal with his opponents. Thus, even if soone had observed him secretly, they would never link him to his true identity.
After returning to his previous location, Zhang Yan swept his eyes over the corpses strewn on the ground. After a mont of contemplation, he flicked his robe sleeve and summoned the "Nine Capturing Demon Scroll."
The scroll, long unseen, seed to rejoice at its freedom, letting out a jubilant cry. The scroll trembled, and faint celestial music drifted from the heavens while a peculiar fragrance filled the air. With a sudden flash, the scroll transford into a dazzling silver arc of light, encircling the dense forest several tis. It absorbed the essence blood and remnant souls of the fallen cultivators completely. After its feast, the scroll emitted a long and clear cry before reluctantly returning to Zhang Yan’s sleeve.
Zhang Yan’s gaze settled on the ground, noticing several sleeve bags still lying among the remains. Without hesitation, he collected them with a casual sweep of his hand.
Glancing up at the sky, he noticed the faint brightness of dawn. It was now nearing the end of the Yin Hour. Realizing that it was unwise to linger, he propelled himself upward, soaring into the sky. After circling briefly, he headed toward an inconspicuous mountain peak.
About a hundred li away, Hou Sanlang was cautiously following behind a green-clothed youth moving forward at a leisurely pace.
Though he wore the "Moving Shadow Treasure Clothes" from the Hou Family, capable of erasing all traces of his movents or flight, Hou Sanlang still conducted himself with extre care, unwilling to make any mistakes.
The green-clothed youth possessed striking features: brows as green as jade, a nose straight and defined, and lips as red as freshly painted vermillion. He was undeniably a dashing young man, yet his cheeks bore an unnatural pallor of green, and his entire person emanated a faint, delicate fragrance.
Before entering the mountain, Hou Sanlang had already set his sights on this person.
Although he had not found any trace of Zhang Yan on Qingcun Mountain, Hou Sanlang refused to believe that a cultivator like Zhang Yan—seeking rare treasures—would be absent after rumors of exceptional treasure ganoderma appearing here spread.
Thus, Hou Sanlang identified several suspicious individuals to investigate. After careful observation, it was this youth who stood out as the most questionable.
Feigning a chance encounter, Hou Sanlang had "accidentally" bumped into the youth and then actively struck up a conversation. All he learned was that the youth’s surna was Feng; beyond that, he uncovered nothing.
After further inquiries in the area brought no results regarding the youth’s background, Hou Sanlang ford his theory: This person was highly likely to be Zhang Yan.
Now, after ticulously tailing the youth, Hou Sanlang was convinced that the appearance before him was definitely not the man’s true face!
However, without solid confirmation of the youth’s identity, Hou Sanlang refrained from acting rashly.
Suddenly, the green-clothed youth halted his steps, sniffed the air a few tis, and his face lit up with joy. Laughing softly, he darted forward at an astonishing speed, disappearing into the dense forest in an instant.
Hou Sanlang hastily gave chase, feeling puzzled. Why would this man not fly, even in the forest? Surely flying close to the ground would be far faster than walking with two legs.
Though the Green-clothed youth had vanished into the dense foliage, Hou Sanlang relied on the faint fragrance to maintain his pursuit, confident the youth would not escape.
Indeed, after advancing several li, Hou Sanlang caught sight of the youth again.
The green-clothed youth now stood in a clearing, stomping the ground underfoot. With a grin, he muttered to himself, "Let’s see where you’ll hide this ti."
With that, he bent down and thrust his hand deep into the soil. His entire wrist sank beneath the surface as a playful smile spread across his face. Slowly, he withdrew his hand from the soil.
Hou Sanlang’s eyes widened in disbelief—the green-clothed youth now held a perfectly ford, humanoid Lingzhi, complete with arms and legs!
The sight was nothing short of bizarre. It was known that the One Qi Ganoderma was capable of detecting threats and would burrow itself underground to hide in advance.
Despite the thousands of cultivators searching this Qingcun Mountain, Hou Sanlang dared to wager that without proper thods, even three years of searching might yield nothing.
Yet this green-clothed youth had effortlessly retrieved a One Qi Ganoderma without using any Dharma treasures or other extraordinary tools. If this news were exposed, it would surely cause a massive uproar.
"This man certainly cannot be Zhang Yan!"
Hou Sanlang examined the youth further, his fingers brushing against the Dharma treasures hidden in his sleeve as he contemplated with growing eagerness. Should he step forward now and seize the One Qi Ganoderma? Or should he wait a bit longer to uncover the youth’s true nature?
Just as Hou Sanlang wavered in indecision, the green-clothed youth abruptly turned around, flashing him a grin. "You’ve got quite the patience for soone your age. Even with the treasure ganoderma in front of you, you wouldn’t reveal your presence. But I have other business to attend to, so I won’t play with you anymore."
...
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, feel free to visit Qidian (qidian) and cast your recomndation votes or monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivator.)
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